


A Flower and a Child

by DavithEinsof



Series: Prisonic Fairytale [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, Can be read without previous Final Fantasy VII knowledge, Coercion, Cults, F/M, Hallucinations, Heavy Plot, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Inspired by Fanfiction, Manipulation, Mental Coercion, Mind Games, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Horror, Scheming, Stockholm Syndrome, Substance Abuse, Weird Plot Shit, Weirdness, alternative universe, psychologically mucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:28:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26448550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavithEinsof/pseuds/DavithEinsof
Summary: An alternative ending to Lyra_Sanzennine's Shevirat ha-Kelim. Reading the original work is pretty much required, at least up to, not including, chapter 23.Three beings in a cave. One young, one good, and one evil. Then, one of them left. The other two must figure out how to survive the situation they are in, but what about after? Will they have only each other, or will they find someone else to share a home with? What about that 'someone else'? How is he, and what is he up to?Or maybe, they are all involved in something much bigger then any them.What if chapter 23 of the original story took a different turn. How would things turn out if Aeris were to make a mistake?The story is officially complete. Now it's time for me to sit on my ass and write part two.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough & Sephiroth, Zack Fair & Aerith Gainsborough
Series: Prisonic Fairytale [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922635
Comments: 10
Kudos: 3





	1. Author's Notes: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lyra_Sanzennine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyra_Sanzennine/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Shevirat ha-Kelim](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12053076) by [Lyra_Sanzennine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyra_Sanzennine/pseuds/Lyra_Sanzennine). 
  * Inspired by [The Host](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/692332) by CryptCreeperX. 



So, instead of doing this the way it is usually done, with notes at the start and end of each chapter, I have other plans for those, I will put the actual author’s notes here. Relax, this will contain **_no spoilers._**

Before I say anything else, I would like to thank Lyra_Sanzennine, both for writing the original story and for allowing me to write this spin-off. Thank you Lyra, dedicating this to you is the least I can do. Thanks.

Now, onto stuff more directly related to the story. The working title for this was “Branch at chapter 23”, which should tell you very quickly what this is.

What if chapter 23 of the original story took a different turn. How would things turn out if Aeris were to make a mistake? Reading the original work is pretty much required, at least up to, not including, chapter 23.

A warning that I feel is in order, is that this story’s flavor is different compared to the original. For starters, this first story in this series, has no smut in it. At all. So, if that is your thing, you will have to wait for the next one in the series. So, yes, this work is the first in a trilogy I am planning and is the setup.

This isn’t a work that you should read if you want to brighten your day. It is not meant for that, which should be obvious by the tags, but I will mention it anyways.

This work contains lots and lots of references to music, films and historical figures. I do not claim ownership of any of the original works. They belong to their respective owners.

This is my first fanfiction that I have ever published. I'm nowhere near the writer that Lyra is, so expect a drop in the writing quality compared to the original. Also, English isn’t my first language, so expect it to be rough around the edges. I would appreciate any notes in the comments. No matter if they are grammatical or just notes on the story or characters themselves. I welcome all.

I do not have a problem with admitting the I have made a mistake. That being said I’d like to ask all of you to keep it civil in the comments.

I may or may not update this chapter in the future with additional info or if I think of something else that should be here, so make sure to revisit it every once in a while.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and now, on with the story.


	2. Promise (Reprise)

He may have been physically weak, but that didn’t prevent him from using his brain. Going by the scorching sun during the day and the cool to downright cold evenings, the lush greenery around them, the high humidity in the air, the fact that the sound of raindrops falling on the ground was by far, the most often heard sound around the cave that they resided in, alongside some stargazing and combined with the mountainous terrain around them told him that they were somewhere in the Nibel area, most likely on the northern side of the mountain that is next to Nibelheim. The city was probably a weeklong hike away. How nostalgic.

On the bright side of things, the constant rain was good because they didn’t have to worry about water which, given the situation that they were in, was the last thing they needed to worry about. The scorching heat, despite the humidity, provided a means for them to dry meat which, I needn’t tell you, is a really good idea. Raw meat, outside of the comforts of a fridge, can last about 2 hours, before it goes bad. Jerky on the order hand can last at least a month in the worst-case scenario.

Unfortunately, that was all that the “bright side of things” had to offer. The other, “less favorable side of things” had its own plans. Him and her, could eat jerky, in the absence of fish or something more nutritious, _it_ on the other hand, couldn’t. Big swings in temperature, combined with high humidity, weren’t optimal conditions for anyone, much less for someone who could barely walk, someone who was 4 months into pregnancy, and someone who had barely been alive and was sick. Yeah, they had it rough. But their troubles didn’t stop at factors which affected their physical condition, there was also trouble brewing in their minds.

They didn’t say much to one another. Despite the tension between the two he did what he could to help. Walking was still a challenge, so things like collecting wood and hunting were out of the question. Instead, he would watch over Tiqi while Aeris was out, he would also do things like cut slices of meat, peel fruit and fibrous cores from stems that Aeris had found, so that they could be woven into ropes.

A couple of days had passed. They still barely talked to each other. Walking was getting easier and his overall physical condition was improving. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said about his mind. He was losing it, slowly but surely. The once great General Sephiroth, reduced to something less than ordinary. His “pet” as he used to call her, was now stronger than him. And the worst part? He had given her all of it. He was dependent on her, that is what got to him the most. The fact that at any point she could have left him stranded and there was nothing he could do about it. The way she fed him, or how he had to ask for her help just to get up. The latter, he was getting used to, the prior however….

He would sometimes just tell her to leave him alone, hungry. He would only eat when he had to. He’d rather have that, than hear her say “open your month” again. Pride. He was aware of it. He was aware that it was getting in the way and that he didn’t have much left, but he would hold on to what he had.

Hatred burned in his heart. He hated himself and her. However, he couldn’t really blame her. He would have done the same. He already had, a couple of years back. What he had done to his captor, however, was much more sinister. A small smile appeared on his face, cherishing the memories.

If it weren’t for that device on her ankle, he could overpower her in a couple of weeks, that is, if she didn’t decide to leave him for dead or even kill him in the meantime. Even then, she would never take it off.

Hatred was the emotion that overwhelmed him. He wanted nothing more than to put her back in her place and take his daughter to safety.

He was standing on the edge. The edge of a cliff near the cave that they inhabited. Looking down, from time to time, as if contemplating if he should step of it. In his left hand he held in a tight grasp, well as tight as he could manage, Restore materia. That same materia that he had given her back when they were at that villa near Icicle village.

  * What are you doing here? – he heard a voice behind him. It startled him. Another thing he wasn’t used to. Before all of this, he could hear even the quietest of sounds, not anymore
  * What is one’s purpose? What is the purpose of a man, who had everything, the purpose of a man, who was almost a god, the purpose of a man who ruled Midgar? What is that man’s purpose, now that he is ordinary, normal. Less than normal, even. Weak. – he asked
  * Your purpose is to get us home! That is why I am keeping you alive! – she said in a slightly irritated tone. What had gotten into him all of a sudden?
  * Remember this? – he asked, showing her, over his shoulder, the Restore materia he held in his hand
  * Yes, you gave that to me awhile back. Remember? Icicle village? – she asked, in a perhaps inappropriate tone, given that she didn’t know exactly what she had done to him, she couldn’t be sure what he remembered
  * Fond memories… - he whispered as he let his hand drop to his side and turned his face to her. His eyes were a blob of brown. Like an unfinished painting, neglected by its creator. His face, emotionless, lifeless. A strange sadness hidden in it and weirdly enough, it was mixed with a dash of acceptance.
  * I am trying to forget, thank you! – she said with spite
  * Hmm, weird. – he said, turning his whole body to her
  * Weird? Have you finally lost it! Do you even remember what you did to me?! – she practically screamed as she ran to him, giving him an audible slap on the cheek.
  * I do remember. – he said in a calm and slow fashion, pronouncing every syllable carefully, as he slowly turned his head back to its original position and looked into her eyes. – Every little detail. Do you?
  * Even after all of this – Aeris spoke in a harsh tone, angry would be a weak word to describe it – you still have the audacity to speak to me like this? After I kept you alive, fed you. For 9 days I had to do everything, and even now, you can barely walk. And this is how you repay me? By hurting me? And yes, unfortunately, I still remember. Everything. How you used me, what you did to me, all the tears… I remember them all! What you forced me to do! You don’t deserve what I am giving you! – she said, gritting her teeth
  * Was that all? Something else happened too, although you seem to have forgotten, so I will refresh your memory. You accepted me, and that was also when I realized that to matter to me. – as he said that, he tried to lift his hand up to stroke her cheek, but she slapped it away, denying him, like he had so many times.
  * I matter to you? Really? I thought that you were a better liar than that. – she scoffed
  * Oh, I am. Believe me. And it would do you good not to underestimate that skill of mine. But is it really so hard to believe? I wanted to make you a goddess that would be by my side. Build you in my image. – he said
  * You never treated me like a person, and almost choked me to death. Am I really supposed to believe that? You hurt my daughter, you could have killed her, do you realize that? Gaia, do you even realize that what you did is wrong? Have you ever stopped to think, for at least a second? – she asked
  * I thought that, as one destined to be a god, I dictated morality. I spent the last 9 years, planning, searching, doing everything in my power for that moment 9 days ago. The moment that would have given meaning to my existence, and then you defeated me, and I lost control. I am sorry. However, not everything you just said is true. I agree that the way I treated you in the beginning, was improper of me, to say the least. However, after Icicle village and Tiqi’s birth, things changed. If there was something you desired, it was yours. You lived in a palace in the sky. And need I remind you of our intimate sessions? Pure bills, written all over your face.
  * My freedom Sephiroth! That is the one thing I longed for. The one thing I truly wanted, but the only thing I never got. I never asked to be kidnapped, to be put in a cell for god knows how long, and then be showered with presents. – she said, her voice was a mix of sadness and anger.
  * And what would have you done, had I given you, this freedom you speak of? I agree, I forced you in the beginning. But tell me my dear, with Tiqi to take care of, because you wouldn’t have left her with me, how would have you managed? I seriously doubt that you'd want your daughter to grow up in the slums. You barely had enough money to live on the plate with that flower shop of yours to begin with, imagine doing that while having a child to take care of. From what I remember you living on the plate, became a reality only because of Zack’s salary. Have you ever considered the possibility that, one day, he may not return? He was a SOLDIDER, not an accountant. And what about your safety? You are the mother of the president’s daughter; do you really believe that no one would have come after you? Of course, we both know the answer to that question because we have already seen that film, haven’t we, dear Aeris? Had I given you your freedom, not only would you have exposed yourself to danger but Tiqi as well. You would have come back to me in 2 weeks at most, that is assuming I didn’t have to find you in order to save your life before that. And I believe that it is important to mention that you were never locked in that penthouse. You could have gone out anytime you wanted. You did, remember? – he murmured
  * I accepted you, so that I could survive! It doesn’t mean anything else. Now stop talking because I can’t listen to you anymore! I am no longer your “pet”, the girl that used to live at your feet is gone. It’s the other way around now, your life is in my hands. Now come back to the cave. – she said as she turned around and started walking slowly
  * Are you certain? Are you certain that it was the only reason, or is that what you tell yourself because you can’t accept reality? The reality that you enjoyed most of the _exotic_ things I did with and to you. It seems that you and I do not differ very much. - He said quietly, he couldn’t manage more.
  * Tell me one thing Sephiroth. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t cast a spell that will turn the sorry excuse of a man you have become into a pile of ash? – she turned around angry, ready to do something, that she might regret in the future
  * My little present that rests on your ankle will give you enough power to protect yourself, but you still need someone to talk to. Someone to interact with. You also need someone to guide you, you might get lost otherwise. – he said in a low tone
  * How dare you?! First you remind me of painful memories and then you tell me in fancy language that I am useless? After all I did… – she said, still angry
  * Your temper is quite different from before. Although that is to be expected. It feels good to be in power, doesn’t it? Admit it. You take care of me, only to see me suffer. It seems sweet on the surface, but I am aware of your true intentions. It’s ok. I understand, believe me I do. But this isn’t over. One day, you will be back at my feet, begging. Like a good pet sho….



And that was the last straw for her. No more. How dare he?! He was no longer a god, never was, and she will never be his again. And with all the anger she could muster, she cast Ultima. The light from the spell blinded her for a moment. When she opened her eyes, he was gone. Only a green orb rested on the ground, where he used to stand. She fell to her feet, her eyes were wide open, filled with shock.

Gone. He was, gone. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. A mix of emotions that she couldn’t control stormed within her heart. Happiness, shock, horror, sadness. She finally comprehended what she had done. She killed him. She should be happy, celebrating.

He was dead. The entity that caused her to leave Zack, the being that wanted to bring down a meteor from the sky. The one that made her, and so many other people suffer.

She got of her knees, switched to a sitting position, and started thinking.

That wasn’t her. That wasn’t what her mother had taught her. She wasn’t him, wasn’t a killer, a tyrant or whatever you wanted to call him. Or at least, that is what she told herself. In reality however, spending more than two years in the presence of someone like him, was bound to have an effect on her psychology and in more ways than one.

She had told herself that she hated him, that the reason she ever submitted to him, was so that eventually, she could stab him in the back and escape. And that’s just the thing. The plan was to stab him in the back and escape. Not to rob him of everything that had made him, _him_ and then cast a spell. Even though, in her mind, he deserved every bit of it, after all, that is what he did to her, she shouldn’t have done it. Revenge wasn’t the way of the Cetra. It wasn’t the way of the messengers of the planet. Despite that, a sense of happies took hold of her.

No! That wasn’t her, was it? She didn’t want to kill him, right? What he had said, about her enjoying his suffering, was it true? And, that bit about her desires? And why had he brought it up, to anger her? Why? To kill him? Did he really want death?

She slowly got up and made her way to the cave. Tiqi was crying. She took her in her arms and nursed her back to sleep.

  * It is ok, Tiqi. Mom is here. I will always be with you.



She sat and leaned against the wall with the baby in her arms. After it had fallen asleep, she closed her eyes. Had she made a mistake?

She opened her eyes and look at Tiqi sleeping peacefully. Next to her was a piece of rope woven out of fibrous cores. The last thing that he had given her was rope. Memories came back to her and she closed her eyes again, in an attempt to block them out.

Be it subconsciously or not, she wanted to hate him. She would have to figure out how to live without him, take care of her child, get out of this place before the other one came, and live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song for this chapter is in the title. Cheers and thanks for reading. Don't forget to R&R!


	3. Into gur Ynolevagu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you liked the last chapter. I fear that I may have killed Sephiroth a little too early, but I think that it will be ok. Also, I know that the tile seems weird, but there is a secret in there. I hope someone finds it before I publish the chapter after next chapter, where I will reveal what it means. Happy hunting!

I felt weightless. It was strange, to say the least. I forced my eyes open and the force we call gravity was once again affecting my body. I looked around and found myself in a bed. A very familiar bed. No, not again! I recognized the room, the room that I will never forget. The cold air, the plain walls, the small door at the corner that lead to a bathroom. The small table, where we would eat dinner. The armchair in which _he_ would sit in afterwards, while I lay at _his_ feet. But there was something different this time. One of the walls was made out of semi-transparent glass, the usually diffuse white light, coming from its direction, that would illuminate my room, was now red.

I got up from the bed and walked closer to the wall. I looked to my left and noticed that the door, which served as the entrance to my prison, was open. My mouth went dry. The only times when that door was open, was when either _him_ or Tsang would enter the room. It was never ever open, and it was always locked.

But there I was, with the door open. I remembered when he first led me out of there. A set of stairs and we were near an elevator. But now, when I looked through the door, it was just a dark corridor with what looked to be 3 white lights in it. One close by on the wall, and two and the end. One of them, looked like it was hanging from the ceiling, and the other one was placed on top of something, probably a shelf of some kind. The floor was made of polished wood, the walls and ceiling were pained in a beige color. There were also weird pictures hanging from the walls. They resembled human faces, at a second glance you could tell that they were mostly landscapes, but the pictures themselves were blurred.

At any rate, no one had been there for a long while. The air was more than stale, and there were small concrete particles on the floor, alongside pieces of dried paint. There were big chips in the paint on the walls, and at certain places, it looked like someone had tried to munch on the wall. Alongside the concrete and chipped paint on the floor, there was dust in the air. There was also the lingering smell of rotten flesh and dried blood.

It was all really weird, from inside the room, I could make out, through the semi-transparent windows, that there was another room behind them, but if you were to look through the door, there should have been nothing there but solid concrete. It was as if a portal had opened, where the door was supposed to be.

As soon as I walked through, the door closed itself behind me, with a creaking sound. I was already worried that the nightmare I had lived through was happening again and now this? The corridor wasn’t very long, I could make out a window on the other end. A window with iron bars on the outside, great. I slowly crept closer to it. It was just before midnight. I could make out the raindrops falling outside, after a few seconds, I could hear them too.

The sound of them falling, replaced the strange silence that had filled my head until now. When I got closer to the window, I turned right. It was the only way to go.

When I did, I noticed another light, just like the second one, it was hanging from the ceiling, but this one was slowly swaying from left to right, producing an eerie sound. The bulb itself was enclosed in a fancy enclosure that resembled an old lantern.

I could also hear something that sounded like static. I slowly crept closer to the swaying light. On a small shelf on the right, there was a radio. There was also a picture of what looked to be a bride in a wedding dress and next to her was what looked like her future husband. The picture was black and white and had a very 50s aesthetic. On the table was also a small plant, a banana peel and a couple pills of some nature were also scattered on the surface.

On the ground, there were empty bottles made of glass in almost every corner. In front of me, was another door. I walked to it and opened it. On the other side were a small set of stairs and another door. I walked down and opened the second door.

Then, darkness… All of a sudden, I felt wet. As if millions of microscopic water droplets, started falling on my left shoulder. I heard a cry and snapped my eyes open. My body was sweating, partly from the combination of the drizzle outside, the heat, the humidity, and partly from the dream I just had. What was that about? I looked down and saw Tiqi in my arms, crying. I gently comforted her and after managing to calm her down, I got up and looked around.

I didn’t see _him_ in the cave. Where was _he_? I looked out of the cave and saw a cliff. Then it all hit. The events that transpired the night prior. I looked down at Tiqi. If she could have described my eyes, she would have probably said that I looked confused, which is how I felt, conflicted more like. I shouldn’t have felt like that, but I did.

While I waited for the weather to improve, I started packing everything. There was no point in staying here anymore. _He_ was gone. _He_ , I couldn’t bring myself to refer to him by his actual name. The name that used to send shivers down my spine.

I came up with a plan and when I had everything ready and packed into a makeshift fur bag, I put it on by back. As for Tiqi, I knew that she couldn’t walk the entire way on her own, so I made a harness of sorts, so that she could hang of my chest. I looked like a Sherpa from Wutai with a baby strapped to her chest. It was time to go.

  * Tiqi, come on. We are leaving. – I said as I strapped Tiqi to my chest
  * Daddy, where? – Tiqi asked



What was I supposed to answer? “Hey sorry, but I killed your father because he tormented me for years and when he was weak, I struck.” Only if it were that simple.

  * We will meet him when we get to a nearby town. He said last night that he would go on ahead and make sure that the path is safe. - I said, unable to look in her eyes
  * Mom, ok? – Tiqi asked
  * Yes dear, mom is ok. – another lie



And that is how our journey through the mountainous terrain, heading northeast, started. The plan was to follow the river. I remember _him_ telling me that the people of Nibelheim used it to generate power. Follow the river and eventually we would reach the town. After that, I didn’t know. I guess it was up to fate.

Traveling wasn’t exactly grueling, but it wasn’t easy. We had to take brakes often because I could only walk so much. After all, I carried everything I had. All of it. Including my child. At least the lush greenery was calming.

In the late afternoon, the temperature was finally starting to drop. Which was good because the heat takes its toll on us, but it also meant that it was time for me to find a good place to spend the night. I knew that the Planet would keep beasts at bay, so it was just a matter of finding somewhere where it would be comfortable. I decided to set up a “camp” next to the river. The soothing sounds it produced would have helped her fall asleep. It was also a source of water, which was good because we didn’t carry much.

By the time I unpacked the things we would need, lit a fire with a spell, boiled some water, fed her, alongside some other miscellaneous tasks, it was time to sleep. We were both tired, so she didn’t have trouble falling asleep. Using various items and the fur bag I carried everything in, I made a bed for her and she immediately dropped to sleep. I settled for sleeping against a nearby tree.

I dreamt of _him_. The things _he_ did, the way _he_ looked, _his_ gaze holding me in place. Emotions. From dread to fear to… desire? That is one of the most infuriating things about _him_. I had no idea what to do, or how to feel around _him_. As if I were out of my own skin, despite having lived with _him_ for a considerable amount of time. Aside from that, I could never forget that smirk that never left _his_ face, as if _he_ always knew exactly what _he_ was doing, what would happen and was always 10 steps ahead. As if _he_ knew exactly what buttons to push, to get exactly what _he_ wanted. Did _he_ make a mistake? I killed _him_ and I didn’t know what to be afraid of more. That I had done something wrong, or something right. I had killed him.

It was cold, must have been somewhere around 2 in the morning. I woke up with a jump. I didn’t know what caused it. I was sweating again. I didn’t know if I was just lonely, nervous, or perhaps _his_ death was taking its toll on me, I didn’t know. I knew however that, I needed someone. Someone who could speak. Someone with confidence, who could protect me. Company. Yes, Tiqi was constantly making sounds, but she could barely speak. I still couldn’t comprehend that I had killed _him_. Yes, I hated _him_ in the beginning, and I had at least told myself that I hated _him_ after Tiqi’s birth, but that didn’t change the fact that I had spent a considerable amount of time with _him_.

Throughout the day, the last conversation I had with _him_ kept playing back in my head. Over and over again. I had nothing better to do than to think. So, I kept on thinking. I knew that being together with Zack again probably wasn’t going to happen. Even if I saw him again, he would have probably found someone else. And he had every right to.

On top of that, I wasn’t sure that I would want to be with him. Yes, he would actually love me and treat me with respect, but after the time I had spent with _him_ , I fear that I might have changed. Yes, I still craved love, but there was something, indescribable, is the only word that comes to mind, about me letting go. About me not having to worry about being in any actual danger and in a situation like this, cold, somewhat hungry, with a 2-year-old child and another one on the way, in the middle of nowhere, that really appealed to me.

As much as I hated to admit it, even to myself. _Him_ coming into my life, gave me the things that I perhaps always wanted. He gave me what I didn’t know I needed. Excitement. A break from the ordinary. Change. Also, being a mother, I guess. I had always wanted a child when I was with Zack, but I knew that it wasn’t a good idea. Money was short and looking after a child wasn’t cheap. I hate to admit it, but _he_ had a point. I looked at Tiqi sleeping next to me in her bed.

  * Soon Tiqi, very soon we will be back somewhere safe. Wherever that may be and with whomever, I don’t know yet. What I do know, is that I will keep you safe. Till my last breath. – I said as I slowly traced a finger over her eyebrow
  * Waahh, Mama…. – she mumbled out as she barely opened her eyes and closed them again.
  * Shhh, sleep. – I quietly said as I put my back against the tree and fell asleep yet again.



The next morning, I woke up first. It was quite early, so I decided to let Tiqi sleep for a while longer whilst I gathered some resources. I didn’t want to leave her alone for long, so I only walked as far as I could see her.

About an hour later I had collected a generous number of raspberries, strawberries, and a whole bunch of other types of berries, alongside a couple of apples. I knew that we needed meat, so something else I did while Tiqi slept was craft a bow. Now, it wasn’t the most impressive peace of kit you have ever seen, but I reckoned that it would be enough to kill a rabbit or something of similar size, if I got close enough.

While _we_ were still in the cave, I would hunt using magic spells, but that wasn’t an option now. The materia slotted in the Minerva Band on my leg was the stuff of legends but it also consumed an incredible amount of stamina per cast. _He_ may have been able to cast powerful spells like, Level 7 Ultima, without even paying attention, but I wasn’t what _he_ used to be. And while we were back in the cave, that was ok, but now that we were on the move, I couldn’t afford to waste energy.

I went to the river to replenish our water supply. As I did, I looked into the water and saw my own reflection. Gaia, I hadn’t seen myself in so long. My hair was a complete and utter mess. My eyes, slightly bloodshot from the events of the past 32 hours. My skin, dry and dirty. I felt tired and drained and my body certainly reflected that. Ever since we left, the only thing I had eaten was jerky and the last pieces of fish, Tiqi ate last night. From now on, the only thing we had, was the fruit I had just picked. I splashed water on my face a couple of times and ran my wet hands through my hair in an attempt to make it look more normal.

I had to use the bow that day, or food would have been a problem. Fruit may have been able to keep our stomachs at bay, but I knew that I would burn through a lot of energy and Tiqi was only 2 years old, she needed food and wasn’t used to being carried around all day. Especially in that atmosphere.

I refilled our water supply and went back to our “camp”. Thankfully, Tiqi hadn’t woken yet. I gently woke her up and fed her. After that, we were ready for the day’s journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, trivia time! In general, this is what I will use the end notes for. For all chapters starting with this one, I have prepared cool tidbits and stuff.
> 
> Sherpa is an ethnic group from Nepal. The idea for the look came from Far Cry 4 (the merchant you buy guns from is one) and Death Stranding, because you know, Tiqi. Two fantastic games check them out. I wanted to make some artwork featuring Aeris in the world of Death Stranding with a B.B attached to her chest, but apparently Photoshop is hard. If someone is interested and has some free time, feel free to post it in the comments or something.
> 
> In Final Fantasy, spells don’t have levels (or at least I don’t think they do) but I needed a quick way to show how powerful they are, so I am adopting the system from D&D and merging it with what is currently in FF7. Spells can range from level 1 to 9, more on that in the second story of the series. The categories are like in the game (e.g. fire, wind, blizzard, cure, special ones and so on).
> 
> Rot13


	4. Where Are We Now?

  * You didn’t need me anyways. – I told him as I have him a parody of a smile
  * My opinion hasn’t changed from before. I need you to keep the peace. Will you consider coming back? – he asked me as I gave him a considering look
  * See you around. – I said as I went to a nearby dark alley.



_Aeris._ I am so sorry for not being able to protect you. Hang on, you will find a way out of that monster’s clutches. And if you don’t, well perhaps you were destined to be with him from the very beginning. I got in my car and got out of the alley. By that time, him, her, and the Turks that had arrived, were gone.

The car I drove was a red Chevy Malibu 1964. Of course, I had it modified to run on mako because, as I am sure you know, petrol isn’t a thing anymore. It is a requirement, for any car in the metropolis that was Midgar. Not that you care about that. She loved it when I took her out for a drive somewhere.

Most of our money was dedicated to establishing ourselves on the plate and eventually, doing the same for her mother. That meant, that dates, had to be on the cheap side of things and rides to small towns near Midgar did the trick. After a while, we would stop somewhere, sit on a nearby rock and just talk about, whatever. Whatever was on our minds. We would even camp sometimes. It was fun, but I guess all that goes out the window now.

I was on the Midgar expressway. I needed to get out of there. Away from Midgar, away from Sephiroth and away from her. I knew that she wasn’t at fault. Whatever he wanted, he got it, he took it. I shouldn’t blame her, and I don’t, but I just can’t look at her the same way.

From what I could guess, she thinks that I didn’t notice what was under her clothes when I found her in his office. I did. It wasn’t just about that however, something about the way I reasoned about her changed. The way I thought of her, changed. Again, I don’t blame her, I can’t, it’s just…. I don’t know.

I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like, something is telling me that it wasn’t just him that forced her to do god knows what, for the time she was “missing”. I have a suspicion that, she was, at least subconsciously, in on it. I didn’t want to believe it, this felling I had, but something about her body language perhaps, was telling me otherwise. And I still don’t know. I truly don’t. I sincerely hope that I am making all this bullshit up and that none of it is true.

Do I still love her? Do I want to be with her again? Yes, but not back then and not now. I needed and still need time, to… figure things out. And she needed time to escape, I doubted that she had broken free of his shackles by then. She knew, and so did I, that if I were to try and free her from the top room of the highest tower, the dragon in whose grasp she was, would kill me.

He could, and he would, no questions asked. I was surprised that he let me leave and didn’t just kill me then and there. I could only assume that it was part of some over-complicated plan to turn that unexpected encounter around. He loved those plans and was scary good at executing them.

That was most likely the reason behind him calling me for help earlier that day. He didn’t need it but wanted her to see that I was ok and well. To be honest, that is the reason I accepted. Even though, it would be exactly what he wanted, I wished to see her too. I knew that “her being ok” then, didn’t mean she would always be, but it was still, better than nothing.

Still on the expressway, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

  * I am done. – I said, without giving other details
  * Judging by the tone of your voice, you didn’t get her back? – he asked, despite knowing the answer very well
  * I gave him a brief reply
  * I can sense that this is a soft spot. Very well, I won’t rub salt in the wound. So, what now? – he asked
  * I don’t know. You people approached me sometime after Aeris went missing. You offered consolation, or at least, that is what you called it. So, I don’t know. You tell me what is next. – I said, getting somewhat annoyed
  * Well, you have been a regular on the forum for over nine years. You are considered, one of its most dedicated members. The least I could do is point you in the right direction. We stick together, remember? – he asked, when was he going to tell me what this “consolation” business was about
  * Yeah, I remember. – I replied
  * You know, in general, few people in Midgar browse hidden and encrypted peer-to-peer networks such as ours. Mainly because they aren’t detectable without the proper credentials, meaning you had to be invited by someone, in person. You never told me how you got in, will you do it now? – he asked. The question was “why”. He knew perfectly well. After all, he approved my application, way back when.
  * A friend gave me the access card if I must answer your question. Initially I was just going to throw it away, but then… - I got interrupted as he said
  * You got curious, didn’t you? – he finished the sentence
  * Yeah, I guess I did. Now tell me where to go. You want me in on this, right? – I asked, I could barely prevent myself from gritting my teeth
  * Now, now, patience my friend. Remember, why you got promoted so quickly during the Shinra days? If it weren’t us, you would have barely made it to third class. Where would you be if it weren’t for us? – he said as I cut him off
  * First class, I would have gotten there eventually on my own. The proof is that they didn’t get rid of me on the first day. – I replied. His games were the last thing I needed.
  * I guess that you have a point. Still, officially you were the fastest to climb the ranks. And tell me, didn’t you feel like you were always lagging behind? Like you were always one step behind. Comparing you to Sephiroth wouldn’t be fair of course, but what about Angeal and Genesis? They were normal SOLDIERs, well normal for First Class anyway. – he asked with an amused tone, clearly looking forward to my answer
  * Maybe I did, but that doesn’t matter now. So, will you tell me where to go before I hang up? – I said, angry
  * Fine, fine. I’ve had enough. Head for Costa del Sol, you have gil on you, right? – he asked, with I assumed, a raised eyebrow.
  * I do. Sephiroth didn’t stop paying me. I have everything with me including all the gil I could ever need, don’t worry about that. – I replied
  * Very well then. I look forward to your arrival. – he said
  * How will I recognize you? I don’t even know what you sound like, with that voice changer you are using. – I asked a seemingly obvious question and a one to which I should have had the answer to awhile back. Before I decided to cross half the continent.
  * When you see me, you will.



And with that, he hung up. He was a strange man, this Gail. I had done a few jobs for him on the side. It was the least I could to, for he helped me rise in the ranks, as he had said.

He was a mysterious person and usually kept to himself during the group chats on the forum. Don’t make the mistake of assuming he wasn’t reading, however. He was, always. He always knew what other people wanted to know. And from what I could gauge, he had connections going all the way to the top, seeing as how he was able to give me a much-needed push, climbing the ranks of SOLDIER. Of course, I would have never admitted that I needed his help. If I did, I would never have heard the end of it.

All I knew right now is that I couldn’t keep going like this. I just couldn’t. I needed a way out, at least for a little while.

***

Three days had passed since that eventful night. Since then, Tiqi and I had been following the river. Somewhat strangely, she had stayed relatively quiet. When we were in the cave with _him,_ she would constantly make noises and for the first day after we left, she kept on doing that. Since the day prior however, she had gotten more and more quiet. Her weight is also something I noticed. I felt like it had gone down since our departure.

Despite that, she seemed to be healthy. No temperature, coughs or otherwise. The illness she had while in the cave, was gone the morning before our departure. Nothing was wrong with her, she just seemed out of it. As if she could sense that something bad was on my mind and it affected her.

I wish I could say that it wasn’t like that, but it was. I shouldn’t have felt guilt. _He_ finally got what was coming to _him._ The time had come for _him_ to pay for his deeds. But was it my job to carry out his sentence? Was it my job to judge him and decide on said sentence?

I didn’t know. I am sure that some people would say “yes”, others “no”. And I am sure that both sides would have arguments to back up the side they are on. However, currently, thinking about if I was in the right, shouldn’t be what occupies my mind. Instead, I should focus on survival.

The bow I crafted the day before had come in handy and I managed to kill three rabbits. The bow itself took some getting used to, but it was more intuitive than I expected. The process of hunting an animal on the other hand, was more challenging than expected, when magic is not an option.

Firstly, I had to leave Tiqi at a distance, in case she made a noise. I knew that something could happen to her, but I had no other choice. Secondly, it was exhausting.

While hunting the first one, I missed at least ten times, despite previous practice, until I hit it. With each missed shot, it grew more wary of me, so sneaking up on it, took more effort. If I had to describe it in one or two words, I would say that it was nerve-racking and exhausting. At one point, I wondered if it would be more energy-efficient to use magic, but I ultimately, I decided against it.

The sun had almost set on the horizon. It was probably around six in the afternoon. Tiqi was in my arms as I fed her the last piece of her meal. Rabbit meat cooked to my best of my abilities on a fire I had started. When she was done, I made her “bed”, and started soothing her. That usually involved rocking her from side to side until she fell asleep. Before I started, she looked at me and said

  * Mom, ok? – she asked in that ever-innocent voice of hers. How could _he_ hurt such an innocent creature, still eluded me.



Instead of replying, I decided to sing her a song. She was too young to understand the words and the meaning behind them, but I wanted to express something and the song had a very relaxing effect on me, which I hoped would be the case for her as well. It was from a not very well-known band from Goblin island.

I remember being interested in their music after I had spent some time in a record shop above the plate, but all the CDs had sold out, so the only option was to buy the album I wanted on vinyl. Not only did I not have a player at home, but I also didn’t have the money for it. It was as if a madman priced it, 10,000 gil for a single album!

When I asked the one of the staff, why was it so expensive, he told me that it was because the band themselves were still new in the music industry and couldn’t afford mass production. Because of that, not only was the release quite limited, but also incredibly expensive. It was the same reason the CDs had sold out.

They had only received ten. And the vinyl I was looking at was the only one. CDs were still expensive at around 250 gil, but that wasn’t an insane sum for most people above the plate.

Later, after Icicle Inn, when _he_ brought me to _his_ palace in the sky, I found that there was a vinyl player in the living room. Bellow it, was a shelf full of all kinds of music and one of them I recognized as the album that had once caught my eye in said music store.

The plate itself was in an enclosure made of carton with a drawing on it. I resembled the outline of a human head drawn with a cyan pencil with two vertical lines going down it. One red and one black. It was simply called O. From said album I recalled a song……

_Did you call my name_

_While i'm passing out?_

_The mistake i've made_

_It can't be turned around_

_I took the easy way out_

_I took the easy way out_

_I took the easy way out_

_I went one for one_

_Before casting out_

_The mistake i've made_

_It can't be turned around_

_I took the easy way out_

_I took the easy way out_

_I took the easy way out_

_I wanna feel something again memorable_

_I wanna feel something again memorable_

_I wanna feel something again memorable_

_I wanna feel something again memorable_

When I looked at her, she had fallen asleep. I put her in her makeshift bed and put my head against a nearby tree. Not long after, I too, fell asleep.

I was there again. In the room I wanted to forget. The light was red, once again. The mysterious door that led to an even more mysterious corridor, was also there. Seeing as it was the only thing I could do, I walked through it, once again.

The corridor was exactly the same as last time. I didn’t like it. I wanted to get out, I wanted to wake up, so I did what did last time. I walked forward, turned right, past the radio. I was in front of the door, which when opened, should have woken me up. However, when I tried to open the door, it was locked. Now what?

I turned around and started to roam the corridor, looking for a key or something. There had to be a way out of this. I got to the angle in the middle of the L-shaped corridor, and took a left, making my way to the door from which I entered. Maybe this time it was unlocked?

On the way there, I noticed a broken picture frame on the floor.

 _Is it just me, or was that not here a moment ago?_ – I thought to myself

I crouched down and looked at it. Only a fragment of the original photo remained. I turned the piece of paper around and there was writing on the back.

_Sussurrei seu nome, mas o vento da noite levou sua voz embora._

_What was that about?_ – I thought to myself. It couldn’t even recognize the tongue.

_Não há mais volta agora. PS: Lembre-se de mim, 4h._

I put the mysterious picture fragment in my pocket. I am not sure why, but I had a feeling, it was more than just a note. I was connected to this place. To this puzzle. And I was sure, that I would wind up there again. 

At that same moment, I heard a noise, very similar to a door creaking. I immediately stood up and turned around. Now was the time to escape, however as soon as I turned the corner, I stopped in my tracks.

There was a _figure_. Taller than me. _It_ looked old, its skin dry and pale. Semi-long black hair and awful teeth. It also had a short black beard. _It_ wore something that resembled white robes, but most of it was missing and was beyond dirty to the point where its main color was gray instead of white. It produced an eerie sound, as if it couldn’t breathe but the sound itself, sounded as if it was coming from a radio.

Behind _it_ , I saw that the door was open. The _creature_ wasn’t coming at me, just staring with pure white eyes. Not retina, no nothing. The only option I had was to go to _it_.

I took a deep breath, and despite my body screaming at me not to do it, I had to. As soon as I got closer, the lights turned off. I debated for a second, if I should continue, but seeing as how the strange noise the creature made had stopped as well, I kept on going. A couple seconds later, only the lamp in the fancy enclosure above me lit up. I noticed I stood where, it stood. It was gone. Without another wasted second, I ran through the door, down the stairs and opened the door that should have led me to endless back. Instead I was at the start. As if I had just entered the corridor.

This time however, the light on the wall was red. Before I could react, the door behind me had closed and locked itself. Just my luck. I decided to look for more photo fragments. Perhaps if could find them all, I could solve the mystery of this place and escape this nightmare. At this point I just wished _he_ were here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is the name of a song from David Bowie's album "The Next Day". Just an FYI, be prepared to read Bowie's name quite a bit. Especially in the second story of the series. I found it fitting, as both Zack and Aeris are in a very "unknown" state, if you will. Their future and even present, are very much at risk. At the same time, they are haunted by their past. 
> 
> The Chevy Malibu 1964 is the same car that Vincent Vega drives in Pulp Fiction. The actual car used during filming belonged to Quentin Tarantino (the director).
> 
> The real-life group I am referring to is called "Low Roar" and the song is "Easy Way Out".
> 
> The dream sequences are essentially transcripts of a game called P.T, developed by Kojima Productions. A Hideo Kojima game.


	5. Duvet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, prepare yourselves. This one is a little bit longer.

We had been following the river for seven days. Seven days of walking and surviving. Thankfully, we hadn’t encountered anything that might try to harm us, but something told me that this was just the calm before the storm. I don’t know if I was just paranoid, but I felt on edge.

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just these weird nightmares that I have been having. Every night, since our departure, I would wind up in the weird L-shaped corridor and I had to find a picture fragment in order to unlock the door, so I could escape.

After the first fragment I had found a couple of days ago, the second one had the following message on the back:

“Non mi mossi più nell'attesa inerte, poi il suo indice scivolò sulla mia mano. Ricordami: 8s, 4h, 9t”

And the third said the following:

“Und durch Nebel schwindenden Bewusstseins glaubte ich ein telefon zu hören. Erinnere dich an mich: 1p, 0e, 5o”

I didn’t know what any of the texts said, aside from the first one. I didn’t know another language besides English and a bit of Italian. From what I could make out, it said something about a “finger slipping on my hand”. I hand no idea what that meant.

Even though I didn’t have photographic memory, I could remember the texts perfectly, despite the alien language. That only confirmed my suspicions that these dreams were important. Perhaps, if I could solve the elaborate puzzle, maybe I could forget about _him_ and move on?

Even though, it was just a theory, I had to do it. I am not sure how it was possible, but both mentally and physically, these couple of days, had been more stressful and tiring then anything I went through with _him_. You might think that at least the fear was gone, but it wasn’t. The difference was the source. Instead fear for my life, I felt fear for Tiqi. Fear for my child. The fact that I didn’t know what was ahead, that I didn’t know if I could face it and protect her from it. That was scarier than anything _he_ did to me. If you had asked me whether, I’d live at _his_ feet again, just to make sure that Tiqi was safe, the answer would have been yes. Absolutely. She is my daughter and I’d do anything, to make sure she is safe.

 _He_ was also something that I couldn’t stop thinking about. After the corridor horror, I would always dream of _him_. Despite seeing him on the verge of death, weak and wounded, it seems that I still couldn’t shake how I thought about _him_. An unstoppable fiend that did and took whatever _he_ desired, including me. In some dreams, he would just hold me, while we lay on a giant bed, whispering in my ear, in others, I’d be tied to that same bed, moaning _his_ name.

The sun had set yet again. It was time for the “ritual”. That is what I had started calling the L-shaped nightmares. I knew that it would come and as soon as I fell asleep, I woke up in that godforsaken room. I entered the corridor and I thought I knew what to do.

I didn’t.

As soon as the door ceremoniously, closed itself behind me, I heard a cry. Not that of a grown man or an animal, but that of a child. From the pitch, I could tell that it was young, very young. At most 2 years old. I immediately, wanted to run to it, to comfort it, to make sure it was ok, but then I remembered where I was.

Something that constantly kept me on edge, was the creature I saw, my second night here. That tall _thing_ , skin that looked like it would fall of its arms, shoulder length dry black and beard, dead white eyes, disgusting yellow teeth that you could see because it had to breathe through its mouth. Even then you could hear it struggle to take a breath. I didn’t know what it wanted, I didn’t know why it was there, I didn’t know anything about it. In a way, I felt sorry for it. It looked tortured and abused, but I couldn’t help but feel frightened by it. I mean, who wouldn’t be if something like _it_ was constantly following you. I hadn’t seen it since our first encounter, but I had a feeling it was always behind me.

So, cautiously, but with a quickened pace, I went to the source of the sound. On the right side of the corner of the L-shaped corridor, a new door had manifested itself and it was slightly opened.

Inside, was completely dark, and it reeked of blood. Weirdly however, the crying stopped. On the floor, inside the room, I saw a blinking flashlight. I went inside and picked it up. I shook it in an attempt to fix it, so that I could better familiarize myself with my surroundings, then the door shut, and I heard the child cry out again. This time it was a lot closer, it was in the room. I immediately pointed the light towards the source of the sound and almost fainted.

In what looked to be a sink, I saw… Actually, I didn’t know exactly what it was. It looked like a yet unborn fetus. Six months old at most. Way too early for it to be born, and yet, there it was. By all accounts alive and in a lot of pain. Its skin was so thin, I could see its heat beat. I looked around the room and it was a small bathroom. Who would leave a child like this, here? Could it be _that_ creature? I didn’t know and I didn’t care. I left the flashlight on the side of the sink, pointing upwards, so that it illuminated the entire room. I slowly went to pick up the child and as soon as my hands got closer to it, the crying stopped, and I heard a deep chuckle.

I thought that my hearing was deceiving me, but it wasn’t. The sound was coming from the fetus.

  * I see that you still don’t know why you are here. I pity you. You try to look ahead, but don’t dare look back. Pitiful. Look back and remember him. You need him, want him. That is why you are here. Remember his name. This is the last piece of this puzzle. It will unlock the next one. _Remember_.



As the fetus said that, it dissolved into a black and viscous fluid, going down the drain. I stood there, shocked. I wanted _him?_ No wa… no. There was a way. I may have not wanted to believe it, but it was true. I did want _him_ back. But it was too late for that.

As the last bits of the gelatinous fluid disappeared into the sink, I noticed that a note had appeared next to the flashlight. It read:

_It was a cold hand, body was trembling. Never moving a step, his hand in mine, I waited for it to pass. Remember me: 4h, 7i, 6r, 9t. Follow the combination. Rebuild the picture._

On the other side, there was more.

_Knowing you, I was sure you'd end up here. Solve the Labyrinth. I will never – can never – forget that day. You know which one I’m referring to. Don't defy me! You know you are no match for me, Aeris! – Jareth._

Jareth! Of course. _His_ name was Jareth! How could I forget the name of the man who made me his slave! Unfortunately, what the fetus had said, didn’t become any less true, now that I remember. The door slowly opened, and I got out of the bathroom. My whole body was shaking, and I was still struggling to truly comprehend what had just happened. When I passed by the radio, it came to life, startling me.

_Lose your eyes. Let your ears listen to the radio. Do you hear my voice? Can you hear your own soul's scream? Let us choose. My voice that tells the future. Or your tortured mind. Well, what do you choose? You can choose. Your life, your future. Wise as you are you might already have discovered it. It is a lie, this whole thing. He is here and sees all. Don't trust anyone, not even those outside of this realm of existence. Even those who created me and all of this! They are all already a part of his plan. That's the way it has been for 9 years now. Very soon the gates to a new dimension will open. 801476594. 801476594._

That was incredible, I honestly couldn’t trust myself with what was happening anymore. I had never been more confused, scared, exhausted. I didn’t even know what other words to use to describe what had happened that night. I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran through the door and woke up.

***

It took me 3 days to get to Costa del Sol. Still processing that she was with him, but there was nothing I could do about it now. Gail said that the people he knew could help me cope. He said that they offered “consolation” or something like that. It may sound dangerous to some, but after all, what if it was? What if I got myself killed? It’s not like I had anything left…

Aeris was the only person that I could call family. I didn’t have any friends outside of my fellow First class SOLDIERs. Two of them were KIA. One of them was my teacher, and the other one was a bit of a pain in the ass, but I could still call him a friend.

There was a guy with spiky blond hair who was part SOLDIER for some time, but he left. I don’t know where he is now, but I hope that he is alive. He was the one that was most like me. And of course, we can’t forget our praised General, turned dictator. Damm him.

Costa del Sol was the same as ever. I had taken a couple of vacations there while I still worked for the bastard and the seaside town hadn’t changed one bit. Sand everywhere and tons of tourists from all over. There were even people from Wutai, which boggled my mind. To think that 6 years ago we signed a cease fire with them. The war had been bloody, and people were getting less enthusiastic at the prospect of a bigger and more powerful country. When the coup happened, one of the first things Sephiroth did, was sign a cease fire. Ever since, it was peaceful, even though nobody thought it would be. For the first 2 years after the cease fire, everybody thought that one of the sides would ignore it and mount a surprise attack. Fortunately, that didn’t happen and now, it is even less likely. Wutaian citizens have been less then satisfied with their government in the last 2 years and Sephiroth seemed to be satisfied with Midgar’s territory at the time.

Making my way through the town, I heard my phone buzz. I pulled the device out of my pocket and flipped the screen open. I saw that I had received a SMS from an unknown number.

_Head for the western part of town. I will wait for you in front of Bar del Sol. – G_

So that is what he meant by, “you will see”. Very well.

***

After 30 minutes I could see the bar in front of me. And in front of the entrance I saw I figure that I didn’t think that I would see again. What was he doing here? Did Sephiroth send him? I looked at the male with long black hair tied up in a ponytail, dark brown eyes, and a minuscule red dot painted above the bridge of his nose. I the Turk leader, wore his usual black suit. I knew that if he was staying in the open like this, he wanted me to see him. He had also noticed me, of course.

  * What are you doing here? Did Sephiroth send you? – I asked already angry, he had no business following me around
  * I am here to meet you, of course. I thought you knew that. Also, I am sure that you know that I cannot tell you if President Sephiroth sent me. That would be classified information. – he informed, his face not giving anything away as usual
  * Listen, I don’t have time for games. I am here to meet someone. - him being here certainly meant trouble, what if he knew who I was meeting. More importantly, what did he want with me or him?
  * I am Gail. Pleasure to meet you. – Tsang stated
  * Like hell you are! There is no way that you are him– my eyes were wide and my mouth open
  * What makes you say that? Do you have any evidence that suggests otherwise? – he asked
  * I… well… - I tried to come up with something but nothing came to mind. Fuck.
  * You know very well that I don’t joke around – he replied – Let us head inside, I would like to introduce you to my associates.
  * Wait, how can I even trust you? How can I be sure that troops won’t just storm the place at an opportune moment? How can I be sure that you won’t just stab me when it suits you? – I asked, not sure what to think. These 9 years that I have “known” him. Has it always been him? That explains so much. Like how he was able to help me climb the ranks of SOLDIER. But why?
  * You can’t, but you will trust me because you must. Because you have no other choice. But, if it will ease your worry, I am not here on company business and nobody knows that I am here. Not even Sephiroth. Don’t mistake me for the villain in this story. – he replied
  * Ok, then why do this? – asked, hoping he wouldn’t give me one of his vague answers
  * I am here, because you, and the people I am about to introduce you to, are my only was of retaliating against him. – he looked down as he said that
  * Wait? Retaliate? Against Sephiroth? Why? What did he do to you? – I asked surprised. His right-hand man was betraying him. That meant, that his control was slipping. There might still be a chance to take down the silver haired goliath.
  * You know what. I have watched over Aeris, ever since she was a little kid. Despite Shinra’s orders, I did everything in my power to protect her. Even when the new President ordered me to kidnap her I did it, because I knew that if he sent someone else, that someone might have hurt her. He kept her in a bland room, just 12 floors above your office in Shinra tower, did you know that? Judging by the expression on your face, you didn’t. Every day, I would go there, to check on her, and make sure she had everything she needed. This was all by his orders and permission of course, and the fact that she was even there was confidential information of the highest level. From what I could gather, only me and him knew that she was in the building. When I would look into her eyes, she seemed defeated, broken, worried. I can only imagine, what he has done to her. And my hands were tied. However, now I have the opportunity to get back at him. A way to get my revenge for what he has and probably still does to her. Will you join me? – he asked as he held up his hand for a handshake



I didn’t expect this. Not only is my friend that I had known for 9 years, the one person I could never have imagined having any sort of relationship with, but also, he wanted to hurt my nemesis? I knew that it could be an elaborate trap, but what could I do about it? This was my best shot at doing something. So, I accepted.

  * Very well, I accept. – I said as I shook his hand
  * Let us head inside, they are waiting. – he said as he opened the door



The bar was exactly what one might expect of a bar in Costa del Sol, or any summer holiday destination. It was a very traditional bar, with typical bar stools surrounding it. There were some tropical looking plants, 3 surf boards were propped up against one of the walls, there were also 2 small tables in the room. On a different wall was an advertisement for a nearby hotel. The atmosphere could have been described as hazy. You could clearly see the fog or smoke or whatever it was when you looked under the lights.

I remember, on one of my vacations back in the day, I took that boy with the chocobo like hair with me. The name was Cloud, Cloud Strife. We went surfing together, drinking, we of course tried to pick up girls with varying degrees of success. Ah, good memories. Too bad that for me, the foreseeable future holds only despair.

As me and Tsang entered, we approached the bartender. We sat on the stools and Tsang said:

  * We are here to see the Loyalists.
  * Who are the Loyalists? – the bartender asked
  * The al-ai-au-ae-ao. – Tsang responded
  * What? – I asked confused
  * They are waiting for you in the back. – the bartender responded after which he led us to the basement.



It was a typical basement, nothing out of the ordinary. It was a bit damp, but at least it was cool, a stark contrast to the scorching heat outside and the air-conditioned bar. Around a round wooden table there were 3 people? I wasn’t sure but I could only guess as they wore Wutaian costumes known as Mummers or Koukeri.

  * Sit down. – the first one spoke.



I certainly didn’t expect something like this. I didn’t expect Tsang to have connections to what must be some type of a terrorist organization, but it actually looked and felt more like a cult of some sort. Next to the table was also something that looked like an altar. On it was a bowl which I could only assume was full of some type of liquid and around it were three candles. There was also a picture of what looked like a Leviathan. I felt like less like an “associate”, as Tsang had described it, and more like a sacrificial lamb. I won’t lie. They were pretty intimidating. And it wasn’t like their costumes scared me or anything. It was more like their “aura” if I can describe it like that. I felt a presence, and it wasn’t friendly. I looked to Tsang and he only gave me a nod.

  * Zackary Fair, our mutual friend here has told us that you seek help. Tell us more. – one of the figures asked
  * I, ahhh – I muted out but before I could say more, another one of the figures said
  * We understand that it may be difficult for you to be honest with us, but please do not worry. Anything you share, will remain between us. After you are finished with your confession, we shall decide if we will accept you. It is vital for these actions to happen in this order for optimal results. Do you understand? – another one of the figures said
  * I do. I… lost my soulmate. Her name was Aeris, she… was killed. A friend of mine, or at least someone I considered a friend, betrayed me. Stabbed me in the back. I really don’t know what happened to him, he seemed different for a couple of days. One day, he had forgotten something at the office and asked me if I could bring it to his house. I said “sure”. When I got to his house, the door was slightly opened. I didn’t think much of it, I called out to him and he didn’t respond. I decided to enter. I had been over plenty of times, and I knew that he didn’t keep anything private downstairs, so I entered. And there she was, laying on the floor, a gigantic blade piercing her, straight to through her back. Her eyes… were still open, blood trickling down that dammed blade. I was in shock; I didn’t know what to do. It was then that I heard him coming down the stairs. I wanted nothing more than to take her body of the blade and use it to impale him instead, but I knew it was futile. He had proven himself to be far stronger than me, even in situations that were immensely against him. My only choice was to run. That was when he contacted me. – I said the last bit as I pointed to Tsang. I specifically didn’t mention a name, as I didn’t know what name he had given them. He could have used his real one, but I seriously doubt it.
  * Junichi here told us that our dear President Sephiroth is somehow involved in all of this. How so? – another one of the figures asked
  * Well, he _was_ that friend. Our _DEAR_ president is the one who my kidnapped and killed my fiancé. – I said angry and hit the table, as soon as I did that, Tsang placed a hand on my shoulder.
  * Calm down. – he said in that ever-monotone tone of his.
  * I am sorry. – I said
  * We see your anger Zackary. We will accept you as one of our own. – another one of the figures said
  * Please, help me forget. – I said, my tone almost pleading
  * What you seek, cannot be given, young one. Not by us, not by anyone. The only way to overcome, to “forget”, what haunts you is revenge. We are willing to give you the power to fight against your nemesis, just like we did with We promise you, if you join us, his blood will be on your hands. What say you? Do you accept? Your absolute loyalty, for revenge. – the figure spoke again
  * Yes, I do. – I said. There was nothing else left for me. That is why I accepted. There was, is, nothing more, nothing left, or more accurately, no one.
  * Very well. – As he said that, Tsang left my side and went to the altar. He took the bowl and placed it in front of me.
  * For our pact to be complete, you must drink this. It is a seal of sorts. A seal for our contract. – one of the figures spoke
  * What is it? – I asked. It seemed like water. The bowl was neither hot nor cold. There was also no smell.
  * If you wish to continue down the path, we are offering you, the first thing to learn is not to ask unnecessary questions. If you wish to continue, drink! – the figure spoke again, and I did!



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyra, I hope you enjoyed the Labyrinth reference. There will be more indirect connections to Jareth in the second part of this story. Or rather to Jareth’s real-life form.
> 
> Chapter 2’s actual name is “Into the Labyrinth”. That “gur Ynolevagu” means “the Labyrinth” after it is ran through a Rot13 hashing algorithm. So, yea. This chapter isn’t the first to contain a Labyrinth reference.
> 
> Kind of obvious, a reference to Metal Gear’s "The Patriots", also known as the "la-li-lu-le-lo".
> 
> If you aren't familiar with Mummers, or Koukeri, as they are better known in my country, look them up to get a better idea of the attires that the three figures wear.
> 
> Tsang’s pseudonym, Junichi, is actually the first name of his Japanese VA.
> 
> Duvet is a type of bedding consisting of a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers, wool, silk or a synthetic alternative. It is supposed to comfort you...


	6. Loyal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another one. There are a couple left, but I have purposefully not specified how long this is. I am also contemplating on writing one more chapter for this story, before moving on to the next one in the series, but we will see about that. 
> 
> Also, don't hesitate on leaving your opinions and/or theories in the comments; I'd love to read them. Anyway, enough blabbering, on with the chapter!

A couple months had passed since I joined the Loyalists. The first rule I learnt was that I wasn’t to use the name “Loyalists” when talking about the Loyalists. I was to use the phrase “al-ai-au-ae-ao” just like Tsang had when he introduced to me to them. If you ask me, it was stupid, but I went along with it.

I was told that the name “Loyalists” came from that they were loyal to the people and want to give them what they deserve. It was a bit cliché, but quite frankly, I could care less. I only joined, because I want to be the one who purges the disease known as Sephiroth from this planet!

Tsang wasn’t Tsang. He went by the name Junichi. I don’t know why he hadn’t given them his real name, but I am sure that he had his reasons. He always did. Despite him being the one who taught me how the organization worked, during the first days after I was accepted, I didn’t see him much after. We’d occasionally bump into each other, back at HQ, give each other a nod and that was about it.

Speaking of HQ, it turned out that HQ was that basement where I met, what I know now to be the founders, Yefim, Grigori and Dimitri. They were a little weird, strict, and mysterious, no one knew much about them, but they were fair and, just as they had promised, they gave me the power to have my revenge.

I had never felt better. It was easier to move, I felt like I had grown up by a couple of inches, my sword felt lighter, casting spells was easier than ever. Before I joined, the most I could do was a level 5 spell and I could cast up to 2 of them, before I felt fatigue. After I drank the liquid they offered me, I could cast level 6 spells for as long as I liked and if I were to put my mind to it, I could probably cast a level 8 spell. Something that, as far as I knew, even our glorious leader had trouble with, despite being the only one who has ever cast a level 9 spell, or so the legend goes. Despite that, I rarely found use for my newly obtained magical prowess.

I had spent the last couple of months traveling all over the planet. I “fixed problems”. People in my new line of work were knows as “fixers”. It wasn’t much different compared to what I did at SOLDIER, so it didn’t take me very long to adjust. The main difference was that the work required a bit more finesse. In many it was like being a Turk, except illegal.

As I said, I had been all over. From finding people hiding in the Grasslands area, helping destabilize the political situation in Wutai by assassinating “someone important”, kidnapping someone in Kalm, it didn’t matter.

I was rubbing my nose in bloody battlefield dirt, all for revenge. They called for wetwork, and I answered. No greater good, no just cause. Sephiroth may have sent me to hell after he took her from me, but I am going even deeper.

We were in Rocket Town. I say we because I was with my newly assigned partner. His name, as far as I and the leaders knew, was Jules. An order came in that we were supposed to pick up a briefcase from a guy living there who went by the name Brett. We were also told that he would probably be with his pals, Marvin and Roger.

We stopped in front of his apartment building and opened the trunk of the car.

  * Is this it? – Jules asked as we took the pistols stored there
  * That’s what the bosses gave us. – I replied
  * Aren’t there supposed to be like 3 guys up there? – he asked again
  * I replied
  * Man, we should have shotguns for a gig like this! – he exclaimed
  * We work with what we have, let’s go now. The sooner with start, the sooner we can get this done! – I said as I closed the trunk



We got to the third floor of the not-very-tall-building and found apartment 303. Unfortunately, Brett wasn’t very smart, and Roger wasn’t very accurate. The only requirement outlined by the SMS we received was that we were to retrieve the briefcase and that it would be nice to take at least one of them hostage. Seeing as how Roger and Brett were lying in pools of their own blood, the only one left was Marvin.

Later in the car, while he was driving, Jules told me:

  * You know, that was pretty close.
  * Close? – I asked
  * You know, close. As in, we almost died. – he elaborated
  * I’ve been in worse situations. – I shrugged
  * Yeah, but you were a SOLDIER, weren’t you? Did you fight in the war? – he asked
  * I did. – I replied briefly
  * Well, I guess it isn’t surprising that you found being shot at normal. – he said
  * I said as he kept on driving



***

  * He shot at us, you know? Six shots. At least one of us should be dead. – he spoke up again
  * What are you getting at? We are alive, aren’t we? – I said
  * I am getting at that I quit! I am done! Usually, I don’t believe in things like “intervention by the Planet” but after seeing that, it is clear. I want out. – he said
  * A couple months back, I had a girlfriend who told me that she could hear “the voice of the planet” or something like that. And I believed her, but looking back on it now, it seems kind of ridiculous to me. – I said
  * No, I am serious. When we drop him and the briefcase off, I am out. Also, that girl of yours, it seems like she left a bad taste in your month. She cheat on you or something? – he asked.
  * Something of the sort. Hey Marvin! What do you make of this? – I asked Marvin who was in the back
  * Man, I don’t even have an opinion. – he replied
  * Well, you must you have an opinion. – I said as he turned around, gun unintentionally in hand. – I mean, do you really believe that “the Planet” intervened and – BANG
  * Whoa, what the fuck’s happening! – he exclaimed as the entire back section of the car was bathed in blood
  * Shit! I shot Marvin in the face. – I said as whipped some blood of my face
  * What did you do that for! – he screamed at me
  * Well, I didn’t mean to do it. It was an accident! – I replied
  * Man, I’ve seen some crazy ass shit in my time, but this. – he said
  * Relax!
  * Fuck man, well at least there we are almost at the drop off point. We can leave the car there! – he said



***

A week had passed after that eventful day and Jules had stayed true to his word. He left the organization and I was summoned back to HQ. I was again in the basement of Bar del Sol, meeting with the leaders.

  * Zackary Fair. You did well to bring us the briefcase, it contained a prototype for a new Shinra weapon. But small victories like this, won’t free us from the tyrant who rules over this world. We need to think and act bigger. – one of the leaders said
  * What do you have in mind? – I asked
  * We need to show our strength to Sephiroth. By now, he no doubt knows of our existence. We have been causing trouble for him for some time now, but it is time to show him that we are much more than a run of the mill rebel group. – another one of them said
  * How? – I asked, intrigued
  * By taking something from him! Territory. In two weeks, we will raid a town and burn it to the ground. That should make an impression. We see it. See the future. After the panic caused by the meteor, we shall strike! – another one proclaimed
  * What meteor? How do you know this? – I asked confused
  * We speak with the planet! She tells us all. A meteor shall strike, and the planet will protect us. We shall use this to our advantage! – one of them said
  * Very well. What am I to do? – I asked, as I stood up
  * You are to go to Nibelheim. That will be our target. Go there, get to know the people, find their weaknesses. Accommodations have already been arranged. Good luck Zackary! - the last sentence they said in unison and sent me on my way.



***

I did as I was told. Nibelheim. A fairly small town with a bloody history. When the leaders had said the name, I immediately recognized it. It was there where he chose between giving in to insanity and not. He chose the former which one would think is good, but for our world, it meant nothing. One dictator replaced another. I wonder how things would have turned out if he had gone mad. Either way, it probably wouldn’t have mattered from the perspective of the town. He burned it to the ground once, he would have probably done the same, if not worse. The only thing that had survived the fire that night were parts of the Shinra manor. Houses, shops, hotels, restaurants and so on were all reduced to rubble. Most of the residents turned to ash. Six years had passed since then and the town had, somehow, mostly recovered. Most of the buildings were wooden, so it didn’t take long for the remaining citizens to rebuild. New people, from all over, had gone to the newly reestablished town. During the first week I had spent in the town, I recognized accents from Kalm, Junon, Cosmo Canyon and my very own hometown of Gongaga.

As per instructions, was to get to know the people. Overall, they were friendly folks, humble. Especially those had survived the fire. Those who had moved here, were looking for the opposite of metropolis cities, such as Midgar.

The local mayor, who went by the name Zero, was a somewhat elderly gentleman in his mid-50s. Short gray hair, a small scar over his left eye. Judging by his attire, the way he spoke and handled himself, I’d say that he used to serve in the military, but I couldn’t be sure. He usually wore tall military boots with a gray camouflage-like pants and a short black leather jacket with some fur around the neck area.

As a part of my mission, I had spent some time getting to know the man. Normally, that would be considered a bit weird, but with the small population of the town, around 200 people, everyone sort of knew each other and Zero himself could often be seen at the local bar. He loved hunting and watching movies. Especially the latter. He was particularly fond of a series of films, where the main character was a secret agent working for a fictional government organization called MI6 and the went by the codename Bell, Agent Bell. This so-called agent was most famous for being a womanizer and having lots of cool gadgets, such as exploding pens, cars packed with all sorts of cool weaponry and a surprisingly versatile watch. Zero also liked whiskey.

Another interesting character, that lived in the town forgotten by time, was a woman called Tifa Lockhart. Cheerful, strong, everybody knew her, and everybody liked her. And it made sense, she had a wonderful personality, always smiling, didn’t hold a grudge, but could be assertive when she had to. In a way, she reminded me of a person for whom I had very strong feelings for, but…I’d rather not go there.

In this town, if you needed something, you went to Tifa. She was like Zero’s right hand, but her main task was leading the town’s watch. A group of around 30 men who had all volunteered to protect the town from people and monsters alike. Some of them were better than others, but I knew that overall, that small force that they had assembled, wouldn’t be trouble.

I lived in a room at the local hotel on the main street, quote — unquote. I had just made my way over the HQ of the watch. Tifa was standing in front of the front door. I greeted her and just as she was about the greet back…. I heard a boom. Strangely, it sounded familiar. When I was still with SOLDIER, I was taught to fly an SH-16 fighter jet. The sound I heard, was similar to that one could hear if he were in the vicinity, when the jet would go supersonic. I was told that it is called a supersonic boom. When I looked up however, I didn’t see a fighter jet. Instead, I saw what the leaders had predicted. A giant ball of flames. I had seen objects like it in encyclopedia books, but it had never even crossed my mind that I would ever see one. Alas, there it was, and it was heading straight for Midgar. A meteor. Even though its shape seemed a little off, it was definitely a meteor, what else could it be?

People around me were running and screaming in confusion. What was happening, was that the end? Was it going to hit and wipe out half the planet, like its predecessor had done to the Ancients? All I could do was stare, and then I noticed something. Over the horizon, I saw that an energy of sorts was starting to rise up. It took a bit of time for me to initially notice, as I was transfixed by the giant red ball in the sky, but I soon noticed how said energy that, looked like a blue forcefield of some sort, engulfed the meteor. It surrounded the foreign body, embraced it and it slowly started to chip away at it. I kept my eyes on the miracle happening before me, but very soon an unspeakably bright light, blinded me. When the light had calmed down and I managed to open my eyes, I saw the meteor, or rather, the pieces that remained after it had broken apart, falling to the ground.

When I came out of my trance-like state, I turned around to see that Tifa was gone. There was no one in the street either. Everybody had most likely taken shelter in their homes, as there was nowhere else to go. I was fairly certain, that whatever was planned for that day, could wait until the one after. I made my way back to my room, went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My eyes were red and damp. On my cheeks, there were the remains of tears that had evaporated. I didn’t even notice that I had cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The names of the founders' names are actually the names of Rasputin’s father's first name, Rasputin's first name and his son’s first name (Yefim Rasputin, Grigori Rasputin and Dimitri Rasputin)
> 
> Rubbing his nose in battlefield dirt…. – part of Kazuhira Miller’s speech after Venom rescues him from the Russians in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
> 
> Jules is Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction, but I am sure that most of you have already picked up on that.
> 
> Zero is Zero from the Metal Gear series
> 
> Room 303 from The Matrix. It is the room from the beginning of the film, where the cops attack Trinity. 
> 
> Agent Bell is obviously James Bond, but the names are actually connected. 007 is the ASCII code for the device control code called “Bell”. I am not going to go into detail what it was used for, but you can think of it as the predecessor to the notification sound, that I am sure you all are familiar with.
> 
> SH-16 is the Shinra version of the F-16


	7. Encounter

A week had passed since me and the people of Nibelheim got a taste of what had happened to the Ancients. Unlike them, however, we survived, in no small part, thanks to a miracle. At the very last second, the object of doom had been stopped, by “blue magic”. What a description! If someone had told me that, I would have laughed in their face. Unfortunately, I knew firsthand it to be true.

The week after the incident, to say that everybody in the town was on edge, would be an understatement. Fear had quickly spread throughout the settlement. The usual vibe where everyone would smile, laugh and dance was gone. Those emotions were instead replaced by fear, anxiety, and dread. The day was marked on people’s calendars as “Meteorfall”. The watch, who I had joined the day after the infamous event had happened, were worried that someone might snap. As a result, they were focused on patrolling the streets in order to keep the peace. I, as an ex-SOLDIER, was tasked with replacing what the watch used to do, patrolling the perimeter, and fending off any potential threats.

And, so, there was I, walking around the forest. It had been around 3 hours since I started my patrol and, at least for the time being, I hadn’t encountered anything. Tall trees, lush greenery, and so on. There was also that very easily distinguishable smell of grass in the air. The weather was quite warm and somewhat damp. The latter was partially due to the river humming along next to me, but mostly due to the climate in the area. It was somewhat like that in the town, but the effect seemed like it was amplified by the forest.

The forest itself, was truly beautiful, and it provided me with the opportunity to clear my mind and forget, for at least a bit, about everything that had happened to me. First, she disappeared, then I spent, oh I don’t even remember how long, looking for her. I turned the world upside down, looking for my little flower, like a dog, that had lost its bone, and yet, I found jack. I should have figured it out earlier, that if even with the help of the TURKs, I had found nothing, then Sephiroth must have had something to do with it. But there I was, a fool. It was purely by accident that I found her in his office. Pure dumb luck. I wonder how long it would have taken the gray matter between my ears to figure out that he had something to do with her disappearance, but it doesn’t matter. He had won, he had taken her, and there was nothing I could do about it by my lonesome, so I contacted my friend, who turned out not to be who I imagined, not by a long shot, but he still helped me. And here I am, working as an undercover agent, ok maybe agent was a bit strong, but that is the closest word for what I am, spying on the people of this town located in the middle of nowhere.

Sometimes I wonder if I should trust the leaders, but what else can I do? Mount a suicide attack on Sephiroth’s HQ, put a blade against his throat and make him give Aeris back? That is a bad idea even to someone who has never swung a sword before in their life. I have seen what he is capable of during the Wutaian war. He would go on for 48 hours at a time, taking on entire divisions. Military camps would be obliterated in a matter of hours. Three at most. He quickly earned the nickname “The Demon of Wutai”.

Sometimes, I would assemble a squadron, and go with him, but he wasn’t one to wait for anyone. Usually, by the time me and the third class platoon would arrive, the camp would already be on fire, and if we were lucky, we would perhaps hear the final screams of the enemy commander as an unbelievably long blade put a swift end to them. The only thing, that he wasn’t good at, was infiltration, but for that we had the TURKs.

The was no chance that someone like me, would stand a chance against that…thing. Before the whole fiasco happened, I never resented him. In fact, I looked up to him with admiration. During the last days of the war, however, and while I served under him after the coup, he seemed more, how should I put it, demonic and cold. In the early days, he was witty and would sometimes go on and on about, out of all things, pop culture. He loved to listen to music, watch films, and a good book was the cream of the crop for him. If he wasn’t busy demolishing the enemy, he was in his quarters, book in hand.

As the war progressed however, it seemed as though his emotions were being drained. I knew that he hadn’t gone through the standard SOLDIER procedure and I could only guess that he was a part of some sort of an experiment. That is an assumption, of course, he never told me anything, even after making me head of public security, after the coup. It wasn’t that hard to come to the conclusion that something out of the ordinary was happening. Aside from the super-SOLIDER feats that he would perform, he would take from four to six times the usual amount of mako in his veins. All the First-class SOLDIERS were worried that he would do something that he would later regret, but he always brushed it off and told us to get out of his sight. The perks of being a general. And all of that were just his physical abilities. Never mind that while he was doing all of that, he was leading an entire army. Even though he was on our side, the war ultimately ended in a stalemate, which lead to a peace treaty, mostly due to refusal from the old man at the very top, for more resources, which didn’t make us and the public happy. Especially the latter.

As I said, I looked up to him, but I was also nervous around him. Everyone was. By the end of the war, he was a heartless killing machine. Almost none of his old self had remained. How he didn’t let his madness take complete hold of him back when he was in this very town, Nibelheim, I don’t know. But again, I didn’t hate him. I kept my distance, and only interacted with him when I had to, but never hate, never disgust, never rage. Resentment was the lest powerful emotion that would wash over me when I would think of him now.

Knowing all that, how was I even supposed to consider going up against that. Human, SOLDER, monster, demon, devil…I don’t know how to describe him. My heart was screaming at me to do that suicide attack I spoke of earlier, but it was too much, and reason finally took over.

So, here I am, hoping that a cult, because let’s not beat around the bush, that is what we are, would give me the strength and support to kill or at least dethrone the face of Ein Sof.

Then, I looked up and saw a mirage…..

***

That last nightmare was…. exhausting to say the least. I had finally remembered his name… Jareth. Despite taking care of him for 9 days, seeing him weak, broken and struggling, the only image that came to my mind, when I thought of him, was that tall intimidating figure, with seemingly endless power radiating from it. And those eyes, those inhuman, serpent-like eyes. I wondered if I would ever manage to forget them, as I should have.

After strapping Tiqi in, I set off one last time. I had spotted our final destination the day before and I knew that we would manage to reach it before the sun set. As I had nothing better to do, I started thinking, while glancing down at Tiqi from time to time, in order to make sure that she was ok.

She had grown even quitter. I didn’t know what it was about her, something, call it instinct, told me that something wasn’t right. Every day I would make sure that she was ok, especially the side her head, where she hit the rock when Jareth kicked her. It seemed healed enough, but I was worried about internal damage. Despite the countless healing spells, I had cast, I had no idea how a wound like that would affect her brain. It was only one of the many things that were on my mind. Alongside how to survive, how to feed us, and how to live. That last one was a much more recent problem.

What were we going to do once we got to Nibelheim? The obvious thing would have been to call my mother, Elmyra, but a part of me didn’t want to. I was sure that she would accept and take care of me, but just as _he_ had annoyingly pointed out, how? When I was with Zack, the three of us would pretty much live of his salary. A good portion of it would go towards establishing all of us on the plate, the rest, was for food, water and whatever else was needed. I would pitch in as much as possible, with whatever I made from the flower shop, but it wasn’t much, and I usually ended up spending, the money I had made, on maintenance anyway.

I could no longer rely on Zack, there was one more mouth to feed, not to mention that as a baby, Tiqi required more than food. It simply didn’t add up. I remembered that my mother had told me that she had saved up a generous amount of gil before I left, and I knew that she still had the house that Jareth had bought, but in a way, it wasn’t right. It wasn’t right for me to go to her doorstep and essentially ask her to fix my life. Of course, knowing her, she would do that and more, just as a good mother should, but that was precisely the reason why. The best way to explain it, I think, would be with an analogy.

It is like when you grandparents give you money for your birthday or some other celebration. It is kind of awkward from your perspective. Or even worse, if fall on hard times and push comes to shove, you have to ask you parents for money. You know that they will give you anything you need, but that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable to ask. I was going through the same thing. I didn’t want to make my problems her problems. Unfortunately, I would have to. I couldn’t get out of Nibelheim on my own. I had nothing.

I kept on walking. Tall trees, lush greenery, and so on. There was also that very easily distinguishable smell of grass in the air. The weather was quite warm and somewhat damp. The latter was partially due to the river humming along next to me, but mostly due to the climate in the area. I wondered what I would say, when I got there, to whom should say those nonexistent words. What would I even ask for?

As I walked, I saw something…no **someone.** He looked like a person, a human. I hadn’t seen one since…. I killed Jareth. I approached carefully. As I crept closer, the person in question seemed more and more familiar. The black SOLIDER uniform was recognizable from a notable distance…. No, impossible! The spiky black hair and just as I got a look at his face and those blue eyes of old, I heard a scream!

  * AERIS! – I saw him coming at me, practically running. – AERIS! Is it really you?!
  * Zack?! – I couldn’t believe it. It was him, how, why, why was he here, was that fate’s cruel way of avenging _his_ death, but why would she do that? What did _he_ do to deserve it?
  * Oh, my Gaia, it is you Aeris! Are you ok, you look awful. – he proclaimed as he tried to hug me, but they stopped as his eyes drifted to Tiqi. Gods, I wanted to die of shame. What should have I said? “Hey Zack, please take care of me and the child that should have been yours, but it is actually my dead kidnapper’s”
  * Zack, I am sorry but this… - I tried to say before he cut me off
  * What is there to explain, Aeris? I really don’t see a reason why you would carry a piece of wood around? – he said smiling
  * What? – I couldn’t believe my ears. Did he just call my child “a piece of wood”? What had happened to him? I couldn’t imagine the Zack I knew to say that. Granted I could somewhat understand where he came from, but he was going a little overboard, considering the circumstances.
  * I am asking you why are carrying around a piece of wood? I am sorry to say this on our first meeting in months, but it is kind of weird, Aeris. And why are you even here, looking like this? I am guessing that Jareth, that utter bastard, finally got bored of you and left you for dead, didn’t he? – he asked, seemingly gritting his teeth
  * I am sorry Zack, I know that I have more to apologize for than I probably even realize, but I will not allow you to call my child “a piece of wood”. She has a name and it is Tiqi. I know that you wanted to be the father, but you aren’t. So… please accept it and, I know that I shouldn’t ask but, help me. Please. – I said the last word as my knees buckled and I fell on them. Before I even registered that it had happened, I felt his hands on me
  * Hey Aeris, ok. Here… - he said as he grabbed me bridal style, Tiqi’s now heavy body on my chest.
  * Zack, is Tiq… - I managed to murmur
  * Yes, she……. is on your chest. Sleep now, I can tell that you are beyond tired and I don’t want to even think about when the last time was you had something to eat. Rest, I have you! – was the last thing that came out of his mouth before I fell asleep in his arms



***

When I woke up, I was in an average sized room. Judging by the layout, it looked like a hotel room. Nearly everything was made of wood. The floor, the walls, the bedside table, the bed itself. There was a window to my left. And I was on a bed! Can you believe that? An actual bed made for sleeping! And it had blankets to keep me warm! Something so trivial, now seemed like the best thing that had happened to me in so long. I slowly rose from the bed and noticed that Tiqi wasn’t next to me. And then I saw her. Lying on a wooden bench in front of the bed. Naked.

I immediately jumped of the bed, wrapped her around the sheets and cradled her in my arms. What was he doing? Why was he trying to harm her? I could understand some harsh words, I could understand him being bitter, but he really was going overboard! I knew that it shouldn’t have been my response, considering that he was now taking care of me, but Tiqi was my daughter, and I wasn’t going to let anyone harm her again! I crawled back on the bed, Tiqi still in my arms, and relaxed my back against the bed frame, while using the pillow as support.

Not even 5 minutes had passed, and Zack entered the room. In each hand, he carried a bag. Going by the smell, there was food inside. Food, actual proper food. He looked at me and sighed, sadness, lingered in his face, in an almost invisible manner. He left the food on the nearby table.

  * I assume that you are hungry. Come and eat. I brought this for you. – he said as he motioned to the chair positioned against the other end of the small table
  * Why did you leave Tiqi on the bench like that? – I asked. His mouth dropped and his eye widened
  * Aeris, I don’t know what has happened to you, but please tell me, what are you holding? – he asked, concern over his face
  * My daughter, Tiqi. I told you when you insulted her earlier! – I replied
  * I…. Please, Aeris. Come, eat. And slowly tell me what happened since I left, after me and Jareth rescued you from AVALANCHE. – he said



And I did just as he asked. We ate and I told him the troubles of the last couple months. How Jareth treated me, Tiqi’s birth, my training, I explained the device around my ankle, I told him of our time in the jungle and…. I told him what happened after the meteor fell. By the end, his face was in his hands. I… decided to leave out the nightmares. He didn’t need to know about them. It would just make him worry more.

  * So, you are telling me that in a couple of months, and presumably with the help of that thing on your ankle, you Aeris Gainsborough, managed to kill the most powerful being on the planet. Do I understand that correctly? – he asked
  * I wanted to say something, but I was cut off
  * Aeris, I have seen firsthand what he can do, the destruction he can unleash, please don’t lie to me. I am more willing to believe that Jareth would want to destroy his own empire utilizing an antient black materia and that you stopped him using just as antient white materia! I will forgive you this time, but please, don’t lie to me. The things you just told me of, have clearly taken their toll. I suggest that you rest for now. Once you are feeling better, we will try this again, alright? Is there something that you want? – he asked.



I didn’t know how to feel. He didn’t believe me. But, when you looked at it from his perspective, it really didn’t sound plausible. Why would Jareth want to destroy everything that he rules over? And the rest of my story really did sound like it was crafted by a wordsmith.

  * Zack, is there a library in this town? – I asked, he raised an eyebrow, but gave me a serious answer
  * Kinda, it is a bit too small for it to be called an actual library though. – he replied
  * Could you…take me there? – I asked
  * I don’t know what you have in mind, but ok. I will take you. But it is quite late. Rest up, and we will go tomorrow, ok? – he asked
  * Thank you.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, so Zack is a dick now? Interesting... Ok, trivia time!
> 
> Sefirot are the 10 attributes through which Ein Sof reveals Himself. Sefirot is translated as Sephirot/Sephiroth in English. Basically, Sephiroth is how we see Ein Sof, who himself is God before any self-manifestation. tl;dr Sephiroth is God... or is he...   
> Thank you, Wikipedia! You sure were useful when I was coming up with my writing pseudonym and it turned out that the research I did, into the origins of Sephiroth’s name, came in handy.
> 
> This chapter was mostly written while listening to Red Vox, awesome band, go listen to them. I recommend their album “Another Light” in particular.


	8. Broken Pieces

My eyes fluttered open and I looked to my left and then to my right. Zack was gone and Tiqi was next to me on the bed. He left me alone the previous night. I could only assume that he has a room of his own. It wasn’t like I had anything against sleeping with him, but it definitely would have been awkward. The food that Zack had brought the day prior included breakfast, so me and Tiqi decided to have at it. I left the easy to eat things to Tiqi, such as yoghurt, and I had the rest.

By the time we were done eating, I heard a knock on the door.

  * Come in! – when I said that, the door opened, and Zack entered.
  * Did you have breakfast? – he asked
  * Yeah, you? – I replied with the same question
  * No, I had other plans…. Never mind, ready to go? – he said with a sad expression on his face
  * To the library? – I asked, a bit of an obvious question but it had already escaped my lips
  * Ok, I will leave Tiqi here and I may be awhile, can I trust you to take care of her if I am late? – I asked. I was concerned asking him, considering how he had treated her until that point, but there was no one else.
  * I will. – he said. At the same time, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
  * Ok, let’s mosey on over.



***

While we were walking to the library, Zack told me what he had been up to. Some of it, I really didn’t want to hear, such as how he had searched for me, but he listened to my sob story, it was only fair that I listened to his. We were both burned by Asmodeus a1nd we both had something to say. I had always believed in Tsang, that he wasn’t really on Jareth’s side. What Zack told me about him, really made my heart happy.

What didn’t make me happy, but worried instead, were the Loyalists, as he called them. I had neither heard of them on my own, nor had I overhead Jareth talk about them. But from what Zack described, I could definitely see why he placed his faith in them. I, on the other hand, had serious reservations. They seemed too much like a cult, I had my suspicions that in a way, they could control him, but I kept that to myself. The way he spoke about them, it seemed like they were his only ray for hope. What for, I didn’t exactly know. Perhaps to get back the that fiend that took me away from him? I could only guess. By the time we were done talking, we arrived in front of the library.

  * Ok, thank you Zack, think I will be ok on my own. – I told him; I really didn’t want him to know what I was about to look into.
  * Are you sure? – he asked
  * I survived for more than a week in the forest with a child. I will be ok. – I replied
  * Ok, when you get inside, look for a woman with red eyes and black hair. Her name is Tifa, she will help you out with whatever you need help with. – he said
  * Alright, later. – I said as I waved and entered the building.



I looked around and he was right. I really wasn’t like the libraries I remembered from Midgar. It was smaller. At most three shelves of books and tables around the walls for anyone who wanted to read there. It resembled a restaurant, from an architectural standpoint. I guess it wasn’t too far-fetched to assume that it used to be one and then repurposed into a library. Just as I snapped out of my thoughts, I saw a woman run up to me. She had black hair and red eyes.

  * Hi! You must be Aeris! – she exclaimed
  * Yes! And you must be Tifa. – I replied just as cheerfully
  * Did Zack tell you? – she asked
  * Who else? – I replied
  * So, you are his friend from Midgar, nice to meet you! How is life in the big city? – she asked. Zack must have not told her how I actually got there for which I was thankful. I don’t want to involve anyone I didn’t have to.
  * It ok. I am getting by. – I lied
  * So, what are you looking for? We may not have much, but what we do have is good. Mystery, sci-fi, classic, crime, fantasy, fairy tale or perhaps you are looking for something more romantic? – he asked as she gave me a wink. A romance novel was the last thing I needed right now.
  * .. no, actually I am looking for dictionaries. Do you have any? – I asked
  * Dictionaries? Yes, we do! Actually, you are in luck! Just yesterday, we got a whole pile. Most of them are for translating from other languages to English, so they won’t be very useful if you need the definition of some word you don’t know. – she said
  * Could you point me in the right direction? – I asked
  * They aren’t on the shelves yet, but come round back and I’ll show you what we have.



When we entered what I assumed to be the storage area, she pointed me to a table with two stacks of books on it.

  * There they are. Brand new. – she said
  * Where did you get them from? – I asked - I don’t want to offend anybody, but the town doesn’t seem full of wealthy people.
  * No offense taken. It is true. You shouldn’t apologize for telling the truth. We got them form an anonymous donator. Whoever he is, he must be incredibly wealthy. These aren’t cheap. This first one for example. When I was in university, learning German, I asked my professor how much it was to buy one, and he said somewhere around two thousand gill! And that was for and old version! There are at least 15 dictionaries here! – she said in excitement
  * Well, I am glad. Thank you Tifa. – I said as I sat down at the table
  * Oh, wait here! I will be right back. – she said. Five minutes later, she came back with a pile of papers.
  * I thought that you might need these. - She said as she plopped them on the table.
  * Thank you, Tifa. You’ve been a great help! – I said as I smiled at her
  * I could help you more! I assume that you want to translate something. Tell me about it. – she said as she pulled another chair that sat at the end of the room and sat next to me
  * Ok, I will tell you something, but please, don’t laugh and don’t mention it to Zack. OK? – I asked
  * I promise. Now, spill the beans! – she said with gleam in her eyes
  * Ok. – I said as I took a pen. I wrote down all the fragments from my dreams



_“Sussurrei seu nome, mas o vento da noite levou sua voz embora. PS: Lembre-se de mim, 4h.”_

_“Non mi mossi più nell'attesa inerte, poi il suo indice scivolò sulla mia mano. Ricordami: 8s, 4h, 9t”_

_“Und durch Nebel schwindenden Bewusstseins glaubte ich ein telefon zu hören. Erinnere dich an mich: 1p, 0e, 5o”_

  * What is that? – she asked as I handed her the peace of paper
  * I am not sure from where I know these sentences from, but I need to identify in what language they are and translate them. – I answered – I already know that the second one is in Italian, but I know too little to translate it.
  * Well, the first one is definitely Portuguese and the last one is German. Come on, let’s hit the books. – she said



I was incredibly impressed with how much Tifa knew about languages. As she hinted earlier, she used to study linguistics before she found herself here. It took us close to seven hours, but we finally managed to get all three of them translated. The first one said:

_“I whispered your name, but the wind of the night took your voice away. Remember me, 4h.”_

The second one:

_“I didn't move anymore during the waiting, then his finger slipped on my hand. Remember me: 8s, 4h, 9t”_

And the third:

_“And through the mist of fading consciousness I believed, I heard a phone. Remember me: 1p, 0e, 5o”_

  * Hmm, they look like a riddle to me, but they are incomplete. – she said
  * They look like instructions to me. A series of steps, but to what? – I asked, wondering
  * Also, what about these numbers. They make any sense to you? – she asked, pointing to the numbers after each message.
  * _4h, 8s, 4h, 9t, 1p, 0e, 5o_? – I repeated
  * This seems like some sort of a combination. Like, we are supposed to align the letters to a series of numbers, but we don’t have the list of numbers. – she thought out loud
  * Thank you Tifa, but I am beat. How about we stop for the day? - I asked as I left the pen and the piece of paper I held.
  * You are right. We will get nowhere like this. By the way, I should thank you. – she said
  * Why, I should be the one thanking you. Even though I intended to, I would have never made it as far if it wasn’t for you. – I replied
  * Well yes, but this is something different. Usually, people who come to me for help, need something. Like a physical object or money. You, on the other hand, just want to solve a riddle, assuming of course that it is actually one. You wanted knowledge. Also, I must point out that whoever made it, is someone whose intelligence you shouldn’t underestimate. While I was still in university, solving riddles was something of a pastime for me, so trust me when I tell you that this is nothing to scoff at. – she explained as she was organizing the mess we had made.
  * I… don’t know what to say except thank you. Thank you for your kindness and dedication Tifa, see you tomorrow.



I shook her hand and exited the library. Before I did however, I took a quick look at the clock on the wall. It was seven in the evening, that meant that we had been working for ten hours, with almost no brakes. For someone who is an actual translator, a task like this would have taken at most 5 minutes. That really got me thinking about how much knowing, just one more language, can expand your horizons. Even if it doesn’t seem applicable to who you are now and what situation you currently are in, you never know what could hide around the corner.

The same thing applies to knowledge in general. Accumulating as much as you can, about something that you are even remotely interested in, is a fantastic idea. But interest is key. Without it, you will get nowhere meaningful. Since I was little, loved reading, words, languages and so on. That is what naturally pushed me to learn a bit of Italian a while back, that is what made me read, even while I was in Jareth’s penthouse, where I could do anything I wanted to in order to entertain myself. Even if something seems pointless to someone, if it is interesting to you, do it. Sooner or later, the skills obtained from this “useless” process will come in handy, in one way or another.

While thinking all of that, eventually I found myself in front of the hotel room, that Zack had rented out for me. The next day I was going to call Elmyra, to help me get back to Midgar and figure out what was next for me.

I opened the door and saw Zack sitting on a chair against the table and casually eating something.

  * I waved
  * Hi.– he waved back
  * Where is Tiqi? – I asked
  * She… is on the bed. – he replied



I went over to the bed and saw that he had wrapped her in the bedsheets, just as I had earlier.

  * Did she cause you any trouble? – I asked
  * – a brief reply
  * Tomorrow, I will call my mother, Elmyra, and ask her to come and get me. – I said
  * Good, that is… good. – he stood up in front of me
  * Listen Zack, I know that much has happened, most of it out of our control, but still. I feel guilty. – I said closing my eyes
  * Hey, listen. – he said as he cupped my face in his hands – You have nothing to feel guilty about, none of what happened was your fault. If anything, you should partly blame me. I was the one who couldn’t save you, save us.
  * If I have nothing to be guilty of, then neither do you. You knew full well what would have happened if you tried to free me. – I said
  * But still, I wasn’t strong enough. But now Aeris, now I am. With the help of the Loyalists, I can finally make things right. I can finally make him pay. – he replied
  * I told you already Zack. He is dead. I killed him. And even though I did, I feel guilty. It is not up to us to pass judgement, no matter how many atrocities someone has committed. – I said while I freed myself from his hands
  * Gaia, Aeris, do you hear yourself? Ok, I will acknowledge, that you had something to do with the meteor’s destruction, but I refuse to believe that you killed Jareth. You haven’t seen what I have, despite having lived with him. You are no match for him, I was no match for him, no one is. So, please. Don’t fool yourself into a lie, into a fantasy. And I don’t care if it is right or not. I don’t care that taking revenge isn’t the right thing to do. Look where doing “right things” got me. Powerless to protect anyone. Even myself. I am done.
  * What happened to you, Zack? The Zack I knew was forgiving, he didn’t hold a grudge against anyone, no matter who or how bad of a thing he did. He understood morality. He had honor. I can’t recognize that person’s presence in front of me right now. Thank you for everything Zack, but I will be taking my leave tomor…



**BANG**

  * What was that? – I asked
  * Hold on, I will go take a look. – he said and bolted out of the room



I lifted Tiqi from the bed and cradled her in my arms, while she was still wrapped in the sheets. I heard screams outside, and from the window next to the front door, I could see fire and I could smell ash. Then, I heard footsteps. And then, the door opened and before I realized that it wasn’t Zack, I got hit in the head with the back of a rife!

***

I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t know what was happening. I remember the world fading to black and back a couple times before I completely passed out. I knew that my hands were tied behind by back to something, I assumed a pole or something similar. I was sitting on the ground, an uneven surface, that to the touch was uneven, like a rock, as well as cold and damp. The last two applied to the atmosphere as well. Judging by the echo I could hear, I was inside. Somewhere hollow. Like a… cell. I couldn’t see as I had a bag over my head. However, there was no light, because if there was, I’d be able to at least faintly see the insides of the bag. My hands ached from being tied for so long, by back ached from being pressed against the uneven surface for so long. My legs were stiff, and I am sure that there were burses on them. I could feel them on my ankles. I could only assume that they were from me being dragged here. But the pain, soreness and discomfort were nothing compared to the fear. The fear of dying, but not because for myself. If I died, who would take care of Tiqi. Who would feed her, keep her warm, sing her lullabies? And most importantly, protect her, at all costs. Although, I fear that I may have already failed that last one. For all I know, whoever knocked me out, could have killed her without blinking an eye. Or they could be keeping her here and plan on using her to get to Jareth, who was already dead, but of course they won’t believe that. That is what I thought of first, but after thinking for a while, they may not have been after him. Their target might have been Zack. Or, what was even worse, he could have been one of them. I wasn’t sure, but the more time I spent in there, listening, the more I was convinced that they weren’t AVALANCHE.

When I was kidnapped for the first time, they were very ‘in your face’. Also, it seemed like they weren’t very well organized. These weren’t like that. And, they sounded less like they were a part of a terrorist organization and more like…. A cult. Instead of ‘friend’, ‘soldier’ or ‘comrade’, I heard words like ‘brother’. There was a very good chance that the Loyalists that Zack spoke of, are the group that kidnapped me. I was betrayed, again. At this point, I just wanted someone I could cling to. Someone who would take care of Tiqi and me. I was at that point. The point where I don’t just want someone next to me, I _need_ someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asmodeus is considered the most powerful devil. He is the king of the nine hells.
> 
> Yes, the amount of time it takes them to do the translation is unrealistic. Whatever.


	9. I’ve been waiting for you

  * Do you know who she is, brother? – someone spoke
  * I overheard brother Viktor talking about her. Apparently, she was with that new guy, Zackary. His girlfriend or something. When the boys met him during the village raid, he asked them to spare her. They did, only because they wanted to know why. – a second voice spoke
  * Wait, isn’t she the one that was apparently killed by Jareth? Isn’t that what he said before he was accepted? – he first voice spoke again
  * Yes, he did brother. And if what you just told me is true, that means he lied to the founders. He will have to be punished. – the second voice commented
  * Ti…. qi – I managed to mutter. I only then, did I realize, that I was no longer in the cell that they had kept me. I was being dragged by my wrists and was slowly regaining my vision. They had taken the bag off my head.
  * Shut up, wench! – one of them growled as he hit my face. Hard.



Tears were bubbling in my eyes. Tiqi. How was my baby doing? Was she even still alive? Judging by how I was treated, I seriously doubted that she was somewhere warm and comfortable. After a couple more minutes of dragging, I was thrown to the cold floor.

  * So, you are the one who Zackary lied about. Aeris, right? – a voice asked. He wore some weird mask and as a result, I couldn’t see his face, however, judging by the voice, he was older than the rest and had a weird but familiar accent. It was familiar because people in the north spoke like that. I may have spent very little time far north, while I was still very young, but this was one of the few things I remembered.
  * Where…. Where is my baby, my child? Where is Tiqi and what did you do with her? – I asked. My intention was to sound threatening, but instead it came out as desperate.
  * What are you talking about? Neither Zackary, nor the men who brought you in, mentioned a child. Hey, you imbeciles, did anyone hit her hard in the head? – the older man asked
  * Well… yes Father Grigori. But not hard enough to cause hallucinations, I am sure. – one of the other voices responded
  * Did any of you notice something strange about her during the obduction? – Grigori asked
  * Noting worth mentioning, Father. Except that she was carrying a piece of wood, cradling it, as if it were a child. Maybe she went crazy before we brought her here. – one of the men reasoned
  * I wonder what else Zackary conveniently left out. So, tell me, girl. Before I make you. We know exactly how you are. We know about the time you spent with Jareth. Now. Speak! Is this child you speak of his, and if so, where is it? – Grigori spoke up
  * Let. Me. Go. Or I will obliterate you before you can even scream! - I threatened. At that point, I didn’t care how tire and beaten up I was. Jareth gave me that thing on my leg for a reason. It was finally time to use it.
  * Perhaps you truly have lost your mind. Do you really believe that we didn’t notice his little present on your leg?



He wasn’t lying. I really couldn’t feel the Minerva Band on my leg. How did they take it off? Panic was starting to settle in, but I had to stay calm. Concentrate.

  * And before you even try, you there isn’t any materia on or near you. Our, colleagues at AVALANCHE, told us what happened last time. We won’t make the same mistake as them.
  * W… what do… you want… to know? – I asked. At this point, I tried to hide my despair, but there was nothing I could do. I was the same old little girl, that lived with her mother. No privileges, I was no longer _his_ girl, no powers, no nothing. Beaten and tied. That’s what I was.
  * We know that he is planning something. Something big. You must have overheard something, anything. Speak! – he said with a harsh tone.
  * I don’t know anything. He is dead. – I spoke timidly



Before I even realized, he grabbed me by the hair and pulled harshly. I winced at the pain and then he growled in my ear.

  * Listen! I don’t have the time to deal with your attitude and your lies. What is he planning! I won’t ask again!
  * There is nothing for me to say to you. I already told you what matters most. He is dead. – at this point, it was all over. I was going to die here; I was going to be tortured to death. And Zack? Even if he wanted to save me, I doubted he could. If these are the people who made him more powerful, I was sure that they could take that same power back.
  * Such audacity. You should learn how to speak to your superiors. Perhaps this will make you remember. – he said as a small cart was rolled into the room
  * W… what is that? – I asked, afraid
  * Don’t worry. It just a machine that will pump you full of chemicals that will make you chirp like a bird. Whether you want it, or not. Relax, it only hurts in the beginning, afterwards you will pass out and then the magic really starts. – he said in a venomous tone.



Two needles pierced my left and right arm, respectively. And then I felt it. Pain, like I had never, not even with _him_ , experienced. The pain _he_ caused me while I was imprisoned was nothing compared to this. Not just the physical, but mental pain as well. Not even when he came close to killing me after I had ruined his plans, was the pain as great as it was in that moment. It was as if my veins were on fire and it was spreading through my entire body. From left to right. With each passing second, it burned more and more fiercely.

Twenty minutes of writhing, begging, screaming, pleading, shouting and I don’t even remember what else. One or two minutes before I passed out, I had completely lost my voice. Nothing but attempts at sound could get out of that throat of mine.

During the final moments, before I passed out, I wondered if I would ever wake up again. If I would ever get to hold Tiqi in my arms, and if I would ever get to hold my new baby. The last thing that crossed my mind, really surprised me. It was about Jareth. Was that how he felt before I killed him? Yes, my initial blow, did hurt him, but he was used to that kind of pain. I am talking about the pain he must have felt when he was stripped of his power. Power was everything for him. Being powerful, a leader, general, dominant, being in control … that was everything to him. All of that, and his endless power, was what defined him, what made him who he was _._ That is the reason people accepted the coup. They saw him as a powerful leader that would propel Midgar into the sky, from the ground infected with inappetence and contentment. Yes, organizations like AVALANCHE and whatever was the name of my current kidnappers, and most likely murderers, were leading movements to dethrone him and were gaining supporters with an unexpected pace.

And then, before the final blow, he had none of that. I took all of it away from him. Even me, the one who was quite literally his slave, could kill him. And I did. Looking back, I truly did regret it and he had been right. Perhaps if I had never offered to go on that cursed expedition, none of this would have happened. Yes, I would have had to continue being his, but when I considered my circumstances, that seemed appealing even. Not to mention, that our relationship, as messed up as it was, was getting better. Until I gave him the idea to renew the search for the alternative power source, he seemed to care more and more about me and Tiqi, with each passing day. In his own way, of course, but it was fact, he did. Also, despite everything, he did buy a house for my mother outside of Midgar. Something that we would have never imagined possible. Not to mention that, Tiqi and me, had nothing but the best.

I understand why I did what I did. I also recognize that it was natural to want to be free from his grasp, but I could have never foreseen a future as grim as this. And then, I passed….

***

When I woke up, I was on the floor. I opened my eyes and recognized the surface immediately. I was in the dream again. I passed through the doorframe, that was just as out of place, as it had been the first time, and entered the corridor.

After a couple steps, something caught my attention. One of the picture frames that had been shattered, was put back together. It was a picture of _him_ , Jareth. Looking as menacing as ever. The portrait had a black background with flames on it.

‘Wait forever’? What did that mean? Did he wait for me? But how? He was dead. I killed him with my own hands. Then I heard a bell ring three times. There was a clock next to the picture.

And then I started thinking that something was off. This had never happened before. I stared thinking through all the clues that I had collected over my visits to this cursed place. I turned and started walking.

‘Step…. Step….Step…. Step…. Step….Step…. Step…. Step….Step….Step….’

Then, I head a baby laugh. After it passed, I head a weird static sound coming from the radio, so I made my way over there. When I got close to the radio, I heard a soft, but deep chuckle.

‘ha ha ha’

It reminded me of _him_. I looked at the radio and waited for the chuckle to cease. After a couple seconds, which felt like a couple minutes, I heard the baby laugh again. Now that I had listened to it for the second time, it didn’t sound like Tiqi, but it made me freeze on the spot. I don’t know exactly why, but I felt like taking another step, would be a mistake.

My entire body shook. I had to get this right. This will fix everything. It had to. There must have been a reason why these nightmares had been torturing me for the past week and a half. I know that it sounds borderline insane, but I knew that if I didn’t find a way out soon, I may never have woken up again. After a minute, it subsided, and I heard another laugh.

Right after it a phone ring. I turned my head right and followed the sound. I picked up the handle and there was nothing but static on the other line, until a ragged voice said.

“Whisper my name….”

A million things were going through my head. If I got that wrong, that was it. I was going to say ‘Jareth’, but then a thought struck and it was about what Tifa had said about the letters and the end of the messages. That there had to be a combination of numbers that they matched to. Throughout this whole mess, the only combination of numbers was the one that the radio chanted. I am not sure exactly what made me think of it but, if Tifa’s theory was right, then the numbers ‘801476594’ when aligned with the letters by the digits, should give me a name. And mentally, I stared writing.

‘S-E-P-H-I-R-O-T-H’…..

I fell to my knees. Oh, gods. Sephiroth. That was it. That was his real name. What was happening? Where did Jareth come from? Was that a fragment of my imagination? Was I truly insane, like that cultist had mentioned? If I fabricated a fake name for him, then what else did I make up? Gods, what if, what if Tiqi wasn’t real. The evidence was there. First it was just Zack. But I just assume that he was being bitter about the whole thing. Yes, he did overdo it, but what if he was just saying what he was seeing? What if I really was just a crazy woman with a piece of wood, that I had dubbed my child, walking through the forest? The way that Grigori, the leader of the cult, reacted only made this whole theory make more sense. And now, that I was sure that my mind was playing tricks on me, I started thinking how I must have looked to Zack. Seeing me in that state, must have been absolutely devastating for him. I slowly got up and answered the phone with one word.

‘Sephiroth’

After I whispered his name a finger slipped on my hand. His hand was cold and my body started trembling. Never moving a step, his hand in mine. Afterwards his other hand slipped around my throat gently. I felt a breath on my left ear, and he whispered.

‘You have been chosen.’

And then, his hand crushed my throat, killing me.

***

I opened my eyes and I thought that I was dead. After a few seconds, I realized that the planet hadn't given me that luxury.

  * Would you look at that. It seems that you survived the serum. Now, I will ask you for the last time. What is Sephiroth up to? – he asked as he lifted my head to look at him by my chin
  * I told you already… I killed him… – I replied to the best of my abilities.
  * Hm, you must have had drug resistance training of some sorts. The serum usually deals with such people by making them talk in their sleep, but you didn’t. Congratulations, you are the first one to come out alive and unwilling to speak. Oh, well. I guess that we have to do this the traditional way…



He said as he turned on his heel and went to a nearby table and probably stared to pick what device he would use to break me. Before he had the chance however, we heard a bang, followed by shooting, another bang and then screams. A lot of screams.

  * Hghhh, what are these imbeciles doing? – he angerly asked as he turned and went to the door.



He moment he opened it, I heard a whimper followed by what I could only describe as sounds of agony. I turned my head to the door and saw Grigori’s feet lift of the floor.

  * Pathetic - someone said in a low tone



Was the only word I heard before I heard a distinct snapping sound, after which the man was thrown to the ground. I was finally able to look at the other man. He was tall. Really tall. He was completely in silhouette, so I couldn’t gauge what he was wearing. His eyes immediately captured my attention. There was a blue-green hue and a faint glow to them. They also looked like a serpent’s. He also had… long… silver… hair. Oh, god!

  * Good to see you too, my pet. – he said in that ever relaxed and yet bone chilling tone of his
  * You… no… You’re… dead. – I muttered not believing my eyes. No! This was lie, he couldn’t be alive. He surely was a hallucination caused by whatever Grigori drugged me with
  * I am? Oh, my dear. When will you stop lying to yourself? You know that this is real. You also know that it is what you wanted. – he spoke again, as he, slowly and confidently, strode towards me, until he stopped right in front of me and looked down.
  * I killed you! I killed you with my own hands! – I attempted to scream, but…
  * Did you really think that killing me would be enough to make me die permanently? I am Sephiroth, or did you forget that? You are a part of something much bigger Aeris. Something which I will explain to you in due time. For now, however, sleep. – he said as he raised his hand
  * No... please!



Then, he snapped his fingers and I felt sleep wash over me, my eyes closed, but just before I fell asleep, I felt him catch me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason the clock looks like shit is because Aeris is on drugs, not because I am a terrible artist. This is not me being sarcastic. It is 100000% true and for sure. Absolutely.
> 
> "Did you really think that killing me would be enough to make me die permanently?” – yes this absolutely is a reference to “The Misfit of Demon King Academy”. Now go watch it if you are in the mood for some mindless fun
> 
> Remember what Sephiroth _promised_ in the first chapter? There is a reason I called it 'Promise (Reprise)'. The reprise in the end is because it is also a reference to one of the songs from Silent Hill 2's OST.
> 
> "I’ve been waiting for you" is a song from David Bowie's Heathen album (his best album, fight me). It will play a part in the second story of the series, and so will Bowie himself. Kind of. Remeber what Aeris called Sephiroth for the majority of this story? Yeah, there is a reason for that.
> 
> Overall this is it. This is the end of the story. I will add another chapter, which will contain some additional author's notes and the like, but this is the actual end.


	10. Author’s Notes: Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Me blabberin about stuffs. Also, I don't like writing summaries.

So… one done, two to go. Yes. My plan, in a nutshell, is to have ‘Prisonic Fairytale’ be split into three parts. This was the first. Its main purpose is to cut the rest of the series off from the original and setup things the way I want them. Overall, I think that I have achieved that. It may not be completely obvious, but I promise that the second half will have some crazy stuff, enabled by what happened here. From here on now, I can pretty much go nuts. That being said, information about the main cast that is revealed after chapter 23 from the original, might make its way into the future parts of this series.

Back in June, when I started writing this, this whole story, ‘A Flower and a Child’, was supposed to be half a paragraph at most. And none of this resurrection shit. It’s just when Aeris runs away from Sephiroth after he almost chokes her to death, and then goes back to where he was because she realizes that there was no way she could survive on her own, he is alive and well and powerful and so on.

But that felt cheap and too straight forward. I was thinking with my dick and not my head. So, after some time thinking I decided on the whole ‘Sephiroth kinda dies, and bad shit happens to Aeris but it’s all part of the plan’ plot. Zack’s side of the story came in a bit later. Initially, she was supposed to meet him at Nibelheim, without any context as to why he is there. After I started writing however, it realized that writing a character that is essentially alone in the forest is very difficult. And so, to both make it easier on myself, and to make the story more interesting, I decided to have two perspectives. Which, in turn, resulted in jumps in time, which I thought was ok and still think that it is, but looking back, it may have made the story a bit more confusing then intended.

Another reason for the dual perspectives, was so that I could show that things are different from Aeris’ perspective. Only when we view the world from her eyes, do we hear and say ‘Jareth’ instead of ‘Sephiroth’. Only from her perspective is the log that she is carrying around Tiqi.

Speaking of Sephiroth, originally, he was supposed to make a lot more appearances, as a ghost of sorts, but that never really materialized. I wanted to make people forget about him in the traditional sense. Because of that, I decided to do something that the original FF7 also did. And that is to present him as if he is the shark from JAWS. Which means, that he himself, barely makes an appearance. Instead, we build who he is and what he is capable of, by having people talk about him. He is never shown or anything. All we have, as readers or viewers, are stories, rumors and so on. Once the second story comes out, it will give this one more context and hopefully some stuff that seemed confusing will make more sense, but I can’t really guarantee that.

One of the things that I also wanted to do with this story, it to truly show what Sephiroth is capable of. In my opinion, a smart villain is much more threatening then a powerful one. A villain that can outsmart not only the other characters in the story, but with some help from the author, the audience as well. And in this series, Sephiroth is both. A villain that you don’t know if you should retaliate against, because it may not be the right thing to do. This funny thing is that, in this timeline, Sephiroth won, before my story even starts, so… I guess look forward his explanations in part 2.

Speaking of ‘part 2’, there is a reason I decided to make Sephiroth’s fake name Jareth. And no, it isn’t just because David Bowie portrays him in the film Labyrinth and I also think that David would have given Sephiroth a fantastic, albeit different, voice. Perhaps if his character displayed more emotion? I don’t know. Let me know what you think about this, eh?

The reason that Sephiroth is called Jareth is because in part 2, he will sing some of Bowie’s songs from the Heathen album. Yes, yes, I know. Have I gone insane, what am I thinking, but in a good amount of stories that I read, Sephiroth is always depicted with this ‘golden voice’, so I decided to put it to use. I’d also like to believe, that if I he hadn’t gone crazy and/or be forced to be a human killing machine, and if I turned my head sideways and squinted a bit, I could potentially see him listening, or even making, this type of music in the original. A stretch for sure, but an interesting one.

The songs in the album, have this almost ethereal flavor to them, which I think compliments Sephiroth quite nicely. Or at least _this_ Sephiroth. His personality may not be exactly what you imagine, but it, hopefully, won’t be too far off. Just expect it to be a bit different. It has a bit of ‘Crisis Core’ added to it.

Overall, I loved the experience I got from writing this. It was quite a bit of work, about 2 months give or take, and all in all I really like how it turned out. I do plan on posting it to fanfiction net as well, so if that is you preffered reading platform, and want to read this mess again for some reason, I will update this chapter with a link when I get around to doing it. I do recognize that it may be a tad difficult to follow, but what can I say, I love Metal Gear.

Speaking of Metal Gear, Silent Hills! Yes, the dream sequences that Aeris goes through are basically the Playable Teaser that was released back in 2014 for PS4, developed by Hideo Kojima and crew. I am also planning on getting into the original Silent Hill series to see what all the fuss is about. So far, I love the vibe of the OST. I listened to it quite extensively while writing the last two chapters.

Alright, that is enough blabbering for now. I will start planning what exactly will happen in the second part very soon. I already have a general idea, and for those of you who are waiting for smut, well you are in luck. I have some fucked up shit in the works.

In the meantime, read [this](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11206274/1/The-Host). Someone posted it in the comments of the original and it consumed my soul for about a week. If that someone is reading this, I summon you to the comments section, so that I can thank you. It is fantastically well written and the idea for the Sephiroth-name-puzzle came from it. And the horror vibe, but only partially. Just a heads up, it is a Sephiroth x Cloud, but the smut isn’t as hardcore as some might expect. And there is fairly little of it actually. So, even if you aren’t a fan of the paring, such as myself, you should still read it. Can’t recommend it enough.

Another recommendation is [Border of Taboo](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8359507/chapters/19149433) by [Lilly_White](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly_White/). I still haven’t finished reading it, but it is a pretty deep rabbit hole, so you know, consume responsibly.

And lastly, thank you again Lyra for letting me do this. Not everyone is willing to let someone else play around with their world. So, again, thank you. I know that you have a lot on your plate, but I’d appreciate it if I could read your opinion on what I have created here, whenever you have the time, of course. Take care of yourself and those close to you, first and foremost. I know that I still have a lot to grow as a writer, but I still hope that this was different and interesting enough.

That was one of my main objectives when writing this. I didn’t want to just write half a paragraph of how Sephiroth gets out of the situation he is in and then gets back to doing whatever he wants with Aeris. I wanted a more polished, although still insane reason, for that to happen. I also wanted to expand on the world, outside of their relationship. You know, politics, the state of the world and so on.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all in two months or however long it takes me to write the second part. I don’t like writing and publishing at the same time, as I find myself going back and making changes to already written chapters, quite often.

P.S I am kind of looking for a someone who is willing to read my bolamach (it is a word we use in Bulgaria for something that doesn't taste very nice, it doesn't exist in English) early and tell me their opinion in more then two sentences, shoot me an email at davitheinsof@gmail.com if you are interested. Just a heads up, I am broke.


End file.
